BEIRUT // Lebanon's political divisions appeared to take a step closer to healing yesterday as the incoming majority alliance that won June's parliamentary elections forged a compromise with the Hizbollah-led opposition on the make-up of the new cabinet.
"We do not yet have a cabinet as ministers and portfolios still need to be determined, but we have come to an understanding on the framework of the cabinet and it is a creative solution to the question of an opposition veto on cabinet decisions," said Ali Hamdan, a top adviser to the parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a leader in the opposition movement.
After the June election victory by a coalition of Sunnis, Druze and some Christian parties against the predominately Shiite opposition and their Christian allies, incoming Prime Minister Saad Hariri has faced extreme reluctance by the opposition to participate in a cabinet that does not offer them the ability to veto major decisions.
Hizbollah and its allies demanded a so-called "blocking third plus one" of seats on the cabinet to prevent the government from making unilateral decisions on contentious issues such as the right of Hizbollah to remain an armed force independent of government control.
But according to political sources in Beirut and reports in the local media, the parties have agreed to a format that would give the majority 15 seats, the opposition a 10-seat portion and allow President Michel Suleiman, who is widely seen as an independent, five seats to prevent a plurality by the majority.
Mr Hariri and his party refused to comment, continuing a near media silence on the deliberations, but the Reuters news service reported that Hizbollah had accepted the compromise.
"We have felt progress ... which could lay the ground for more progress in the next few days," Mohammad Raad, the leader of Hizbollah's parliamentary bloc, told reporters after talks with Mr Suleiman.
It is widely reported that one of the seats offered to the president would have to be a Shiite political figure approved by Hizbollah but who would vote according to the president's policies, a compromise that would leave the veto power in the hands of Mr Suleiman with some promise that Hizbollah's stance on key issues would be respected.
The deal, if it survives the next round of political horse trading that will assign specific ministers from specific parties to their new posts, would represent a near continuation of a Qatari-brokered deal that ended a two-year political crisis and power struggle between Mr Hariri and Hizbollah and its allies over a national unity government. But the coming days will be critical as a key Christian opposition figure, former army chief of staff Michel Aoun has repeatedly criticised both his foes and allies in their treatment of the talks. Local media reports claim he is insisting on control of the interior ministry, a demand not likely to be accepted by Mr Hariri's Christian allies in several parties that once literally fought the Aoun-led Lebanese Army at the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990.
Although the constitution does not require Mr Hariri to consult with the opposition at all in the formation of the cabinet, Lebanon's deeply fractured sectarian political system essentially requires a certain level of co-operation for any government to function effectively. A similar un-mandated tradition allocates the presidency to a Christian figure, the prime minister's chair to a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker's post to a Shiite.
The possibility of an agreement would further stabilise Lebanon, which has seen a quiet and lucrative tourist season with over two million visitors expected this summer after four years of political strife and a war with Israel after the 2005 murder of Mr Hariri's father, a former prime minister.
@Email:mprothero@thenational.ae
Main editorial, page a19
Company%20profile
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
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Scorline
Iraq 1-0 UAE
Iraq Hussein 28’
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
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Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills