Join the Iranian-Syrian Axis? Why Do March 8 Parties Want Lebanon to : Ωϭοϭϣϟ΍Ϥ΍ϭϧϋ Join the Iranian-Syrian Axis? 27/08/2017 : Έηϧϟ΍Φϳέύη

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Join the Iranian-Syrian Axis? Why Do March 8 Parties Want Lebanon to : Ωϭοϭϣϟ΍Ϥ΍ϭϧϋ Join the Iranian-Syrian Axis? 27/08/2017 : Έηϧϟ΍Φϳέύη Why do March 8 parties want Lebanon to : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ϡγ΍ join the Iranian-Syrian axis? Why do March 8 parties want Lebanon to : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ϥ΍ϭϧϋ join the Iranian-Syrian axis? 27/08/2017 : έηϧϟ΍ΦϳέΎΗ ΔϣΩϘΗϣϟ΍ΕΎγ΍έΩϟ΍ϭΙΎΣΑϸϟϝΑϘΗγϣϟ΍ίϛέϣ : ΏΗΎϛϟ΍ϡγ΍ : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ March 8 parties ±particularly Hezbollah ±in support of the Iranian axis have sought rapprochement with Bashar al-Assad¶s regime and they are trying to push the Lebanese state to establish direct political and economic relations with it. March 14 parties, particularly the Lebanese Forces which opposes Syria, objected because Hezbollah¶s attempts aim to help the Syrian regime exit its regional and international isolation, to make it present again in Lebanon and enhance economic cooperation as a path to establish more comprehensive strategic relations. Any rapprochement with the al-Assad regime will deepen divisions in Lebanon and lead to a political crisis which may harm constitutional institutions and lead to tightening American sanctions on Hezbollah in order to harm the Lebanese economy or suspend foreign support for the Lebanese army. Involving Lebanon in the current regional disputes as a player in support of the Iranian axis may subject the country to Israeli aggression.After Minister of Industry Hussein Hajj Hassan (a representative of Hezbollah in the Lebanese government) said he and Minister of Agriculture Ghazi Zaiter (a representative of the Amal Movement in the government), received an invitation from the Syrian minister of Economy and Trade to participate in the International Damascus Exhibition which will be held from August 17 until August 26, some political parties in Lebanon sought rapprochement and cooperation with al-Assad regime to restore political ties. Hajj Hassan said: ³I will participate as minister of industry to hold talks. There are some points that need to be resolved on the level of trade and industry between the two countries. There are political and diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria. They have an envoy and we have an envoy.´Lebanese companies will participate in the Lebanese wing in the exhibition organized by the Ministry of Industry. If a minister attends this exhibition, it will be the first visit of its kind to Syria since the armed conflict erupted there in 2011.These statements sparked a wave of objections inside Lebanon, particularly by the March 14 parties which oppose the Iranian axis. Meanwhile this was met by an opposing wave that supports communicating with Syria.Opposing stances1. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea confirmed (in a press conference held on August 10) that any Lebanese minister¶s official visit to Syria will shake political, security and military stability in Lebanon and will immediately place the country in the category of the Iranian axis thus leading to more sanctions and besieging the country even more.2. Future bloc Member of Parliament Ammar Houri told (the Voice of Lebanon radio station) that security coordination between Lebanon and Syria has been on for a while but political coordination has been specified by the ministerial statement and by the oath under the principle of dissociation. Houri added that reopening the subject means disturbing national consensus again which is a move that will further complicate matters and cause new divisions and tensions.3. Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel commented on the Lebanese ministers¶participation in the Damascus International Exhibition and said there is a regional strategic decision to normalize Lebanese relations with the Syrian-Iranian axis. He added that everything in the country works according to Hezbollah¶s pattern while the government covers up deals that leads to continuously pushing the state into a dark tunnel. 4. Democratic Gathering MP Antoine Saad emphasized (in an interview with Al- Fajr radio station on August 10) that the ministers¶visit to Syria violates the constitution and the country¶s sovereignty. He said the ministers must not visit in their capacity as ministers or cabinet representatives but must visit in their personal capacity as representing their businesses. He added that some have proposed this visit now because they are conspiring to throw Lebanon into the bosom of the Syrian regime.Supporting stances1. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said (during his Wednesday¶s meetings with MPs on August 9) that there are diplomatic relations and agreements between the two countries, adding that all phases proved that communication and cooperation are normal and serve both countries¶interests.2. Sports Minister Mohammad Fneish (Hezbollah¶s representative in the Lebanese government) said a single party does not have the right to make decisions on its own. He said it¶s not strange for a Lebanese minister to visit Syria considering there are diplomatic relations and agreements between the two countries; therefore, no one has the right to object.3. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil (head of the Free Patriotic Movement) responded to those opposing to Hezbollah and Amal ministers¶Syria visit and stated that there are relations between Lebanon and Syria. He added that Lebanon appointed a Lebanese ambassador in Syria a while ago.Governing determinantsThe most important reasons March 8 parties called for communicating with Syria are:1. End the Syrian regime's regional isolation by promoting the idea that al-Assad regime still controls the situation in Syria and that it¶s the only legitimate power that must be dealt with ±like several countries in the region, primarily Iran and Iraq, are dealing with it. They¶re also promoting the idea that the demise of other parties in Syria calls for responding to calls to deal with al-Assad regime and that Lebanon will make the initiative to do so in the next phase especially that the two countries have a lot in common on the economic, political and security levels.2. Reproduce Syrian presence in Lebanon which many political powers, especially the Future Movement, are worried of. Lebanese Forces sources warned that the Syrian regime had negative presence in Lebanon during three essential phases ±during the Lebanese war, during its occupation of Lebanon and during its attempt to control the domestic scene via intervening and carrying out operations, such as the 10/10/2021 8:03:42 PM 1 / 2 explosions related to Michel Samaha and the explosions which targeted the mosques in Tripoli. This shows the Syrian regime¶s permanent desire to infiltrate Lebanon, and it also indicates that March 8 parties are paving way for this.3. Enhancing Lebanese- Syrian economic cooperation especially in the field of energy. What indicated this is the deal which Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil recently signed with the Syrian government to supply Lebanon with electricity, 300 megawatts for 400 billon Lebanese Liras. Within this context, Syrian Minister of Electricity Mohammed Zuheir Kharboutli said ³Syria continues to supply the Lebanese state with electricity.´This pushes the Lebanese state to increase dependence on Syria which supports enhancing bilateral economic relations in the future in an attempt to develop them into more strategic relations.Expansive effectsCommunicating with al-Assad regime will have a series of repercussions that will affect the Lebanese state such as:1. Increasing domestic political disputes as a result of the policy of regional axes. This policy affects Lebanon where the political scene is divided between March 14 parties which oppose the Iranian-Syrian axis and March 8 parties which support this axis. The former rejects any cooperation with Iran or Syria while Hezbollah seeks to increase Syrian and Iranian presence in Lebanon. This has led to debates during the cabinet meeting held on August 9. The meeting confirmed the principle of dissociating Lebanon out of fear that disputes will erupt between ministers and paralyze the cabinet. The cabinet thus stated that if any minister wants to visit Syria then he must go in his personal capacity and not in his capacity as minister.2. Imposing sanctions and suspending military support to Lebanon. Many Lebanese sources believe that Lebanese ministers¶visit in their official capacity as minister to any official event organized by al- Assad regime reflects an official Lebanese recognition of the Syrian regime which is besieged by Arab and foreign countries. This may subject Lebanon to sanctions, including tightening American sanctions on Hezbollah in a way that targets banks and the Lebanese economy or suspends aid which western countries provide to Lebanon, especially American and European aid. This will harm the Lebanese state particularly in its war against terrorism.3. Listing Lebanon in the regional settlement. Attempts to involve Lebanon in the Syrian crisis tends to turn Lebanon into a card which Tehran, Damascus and Moscow can use against regional countries and the US, especially that Lebanon is a neighbor of Israel which is anticipating the growth of Hezbollah¶s power and influence in the region. This will increase resistance powers in the region thus further subjecting the Lebanese state to Israeli military hostilities. It will also increase economic pressures exerted by the international community, particularly American pressures. One must keep in mind that the Lebanese state¶s fragility and lack of independence makes Lebanon the first country to be sacrificed when a regional settlement is reached. 10/10/2021 8:03:42 PM 2 / 2.
Recommended publications
  • Lebanon: Managing the Gathering Storm
    LEBANON: MANAGING THE GATHERING STORM Middle East Report N°48 – 5 December 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. A SYSTEM BETWEEN OLD AND NEW.................................................................. 1 A. SETTING THE STAGE: THE ELECTORAL CONTEST..................................................................1 B. THE MEHLIS EFFECT.............................................................................................................5 II. SECTARIANISM AND INTERNATIONALISATION ............................................. 8 A. FROM SYRIAN TUTELAGE TO WESTERN UMBRELLA?............................................................8 B. SHIFTING ALLIANCES..........................................................................................................12 III. THE HIZBOLLAH QUESTION ................................................................................ 16 A. “A NEW PHASE OF CONFRONTATION” ................................................................................17 B. HIZBOLLAH AS THE SHIITE GUARDIAN?..............................................................................19 C. THE PARTY OF GOD TURNS PARTY OF GOVERNMENT.........................................................20 IV. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 22 A. A BROAD INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR A NARROW AGENDA .......................................22 B. A LEBANESE COURT ON FOREIGN
    [Show full text]
  • An Impossible Balance
    March 2019 No 233 12 | Dipping into digital waters Convergences of awareness on several of Lebanon’s overdue cyber priorities 16 | Long overdue reforms What can the Lebanese government achieve in less than two years? 42 | Toward a cashless society Lebanon’s alternative payment solutions www.executive-magazine.com AN IMPOSSIBLE BALANCE Women who do it all Lebanon: LL 10,000 - Bahrain: BD2 - Egypt: EP20 - Jordan: JD5 - Iraq: ID6000 - Kuwait: KD2 - Oman: OR2 - Qatar: QR20 - Saudi Arabia: SR20 - Syria: SP200 - UAE: Drhm20 - Morocco: Drhm30 - Tunisia: TD5.5 - Tunisia: Drhm30 - Morocco: Drhm20 - UAE: SP200 - Syria: SR20 Arabia: - Qatar: - Saudi OR2 QR20 KD2 - Oman: ID6000 - Kuwait: JD5 - Iraq: LL 10,000 - Bahrain: - Egypt: BD2 EP20 - Jordan: Lebanon: 12 executive-magazine.com March 2019 EDITORIAL #233 Dismantling privilege A friend of mine, an ex-minister, once told me, “The Lebanese system works perfectly, like clockwork—but in all the wrong ways.” The money pledged by the international community at CEDRE requires long overdue structural reforms on our part. Take the deficit caused through subsidizing the failing public utility Electricité du Liban (EDL). To actually fix EDL would require our politicians to dismantle a parallel industry of which they are the benefactors. The corruption that keeps sectors like telecommunications and electricity profitable for our elite is entirely of their own making; and only through self-inflicted wounds would they be able to reform these sectors for the benefit of all Lebanese. The frequent foreign delegations who come to Lebanon surely laugh as they come out of another pointless high-level meeting, knowing that the problems they have raised were caused by these politicians, and the reforms that are so desperately needed have been blocked by these same men—and it has been men—for decades.
    [Show full text]
  • LEBANON: CONTAINING SPILLOVER from SYRIA Julien Barnes-Dacey
    BRIEF POLICY LEBANON: CONTAINING SPILLOVER FROM SYRIA Julien Barnes-Dacey Since independence in 1943, Lebanon has been one of the SUMMARY After more than a year of conflict in Syria, most fragile countries in the Middle East. Weakened by Lebanon is now also vulnerable. The Syrian civil centrifugal forces and external meddling, the central state war is amplifying Lebanese political divisions, has struggled to assert its hold over the country; repeated fuelling militancy and pushing Syrian President crises have provoked ongoing instability. But, with conflict Bashar al-Assad to stir up regional instability. worsening in neighbouring Syria, Lebanon now faces a However, the Lebanese are very aware of the risks new threat. Syria’s geographic proximity and longstanding they face and the country has strong resilience mechanisms in place. Key political actors – influence over Lebanon’s delicate political balance make particularly Hezbollah, Lebanon’s dominant it particularly sensitive to developments in its eastern force – are intent on preventing wider conflict. neighbour. With the intensification of the regional cold war Though tensions could yet push the country into between Iran and Saudi Arabia – both of which see Lebanon the abyss, particularly if Assad falls, Lebanon is as a battlefield of influence – the country risks being pulled more likely to experience a period of prolonged into the maelstrom. Isolated clashes associated with the but manageable instability with periodical conflict have already broken out across the country and violence rather than outright civil war. there are fears that the Syrian uprising could provoke a Europe should use the influence it has to support more significant descent into violence.
    [Show full text]
  • Michel Samaha”
    Real consequences: reactions to the judgment of the Military Court in “Lebanon” toward “Michel Samaha” "Michel Samaha" received a prison sentence for four and a half years and stripped of the right to exercise civil rights by the Military Court in “Lebanon”, because of transferring explosives from Syria to Lebanon to carry out assassination operations against Syria figures and deputy and Lebanese clerics in northern Lebanon plans to implement it in the summer of 2012. “Samaha” is supposed to be out of prison after seven months by adding the duration he spent in pre-trial detention, and to be prevented from exercising the right to stand as candidates in the elections or participate in the vote. In addition, he was prevented from assuming any official position or Government in the future. “Samaha” was a former minister of “8 march”, and has a wide relations with Lebanese, regional and international politicians. He was close to the Syrian regime, and worked as media adviser for Bashar al-Assad. He was arrested on 9 August 2012, when he was caught red-handed with bombs, explosives and weapons. The Lebanese television stations aired one of videos recorded by a person called "Birth of Kfouri" who works for internal security forces, in which “Samaha” explained the indicated targets and the Syrian president former knowledge, but the military court did not face him with the videos. ********** Internal reactions: There were many reactions to the verdict against Michel Samaha, and could be noticed as follows: At the judicial level: the judge "Saqr Saqr” -commissioner of the Government to the permanent military court- requested for revocation of the Military Court sentence, as “Samaha” crime resulted in significant repercussions on Lebanese national security.
    [Show full text]
  • The Monthly-March 2012 English
    issue number 116 |March 2012 WAGE HIKE LEBANON AIRPORTS “the monthLy” interviews: RITA MAALOUF www.iimonthly.com • Published by Information International sal RENT ACT TWELVE EXTENSIONS AND A NEW LAW IS YET TO MATERIALIZE Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros March INDEX 2012 4 RENT ACT 7 GLC AND BUSINESS OWNERS LOCK HORNS WITH NAHAS OVER WAGE HIKE 10 ElECTIONS 2013 (2) 12 WILL LEBANON OPERATE FOUR AIRPORTS OR ONLY ONE? 14 IDAL 16 THOUSANDS OF MOBILE PHONE LINES AT THE DISPOSAL OF SECURITY FORCES P: 21 P: 4 17 REOPENING OF BEIRUT Pine’s FOREST 18 VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS: DR. HANNA SAADAH 19 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF IMPOTENCE ON MEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST: MICHEL NAWFAL 20 ALF, BA, TA...: DR. SAMAR ZEBIAN 21 INTERVIEW: RITA MAALOUF P: 12 23 TORTURE - IRIDESCENCE 24 NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS (2) 39 Mansourieh’s HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER 28 THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT LINES ASSOCIATION (INMA) 40 JANUARY 2012 TIMELINE 30 HOW TO BECOME A CLERGYMAN IN YOUR RELIGION? 43 EgYPTIAN ELECTIONS 31 POPULAR CULTURE 47 REAL ESTATE PRICES IN LEBANON - 32 DEBUNKING MYTH #55: DREAMS JANUARY 2012 33 MUST-READ BOOKS: CORRUPTION 48 FOOD PRICES - JANUARY 2012 34 MUST-READ CHILdren’s bOOK: CAMELLIA 50 VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES 35 LEBANON FAMILIES: HAWI FAMILIES 50 BEIRUT RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - JANUARY 2012 36 DISCOVER LEBANON: CHAKRA 51 lEBANON STATS 37 CIVIL STRIFE INTRO |EDITORIAL ASSEM SALAM: THE CUSTODIAN OF VALUES The heart aches proudly when you see them, our knights when the demonstrators denounced the Syrian enemy: of the 1920s and 30s, refusing to dismount as if they “Calls for Lebanon’s independence from the Syrian were on a quest or a journey.
    [Show full text]
  • Join the Iranian-Syrian Axis? Why Do March 8 Parties Want Lebanon to : Ωϭοϭϣϟ΍Ϥ΍ϭϧϋ Join the Iranian-Syrian Axis? 27/08/2017 : Έηϧϟ΍Φϳέύη
    Why do March 8 parties want Lebanon to : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ϡγ΍ join the Iranian-Syrian axis? Why do March 8 parties want Lebanon to : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ϥ΍ϭϧϋ join the Iranian-Syrian axis? 27/08/2017 : έηϧϟ΍ΦϳέΎΗ ΔϣΩϘΗϣϟ΍ΕΎγ΍έΩϟ΍ϭΙΎΣΑϸϟϝΑϘΗγϣϟ΍ίϛέϣ : ΏΗΎϛϟ΍ϡγ΍ : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ March 8 parties ±particularly Hezbollah ±in support of the Iranian axis have sought rapprochement with Bashar al-Assad¶s regime and they are trying to push the Lebanese state to establish direct political and economic relations with it. March 14 parties, particularly the Lebanese Forces which opposes Syria, objected because Hezbollah¶s attempts aim to help the Syrian regime exit its regional and international isolation, to make it present again in Lebanon and enhance economic cooperation as a path to establish more comprehensive strategic relations. Any rapprochement with the al-Assad regime will deepen divisions in Lebanon and lead to a political crisis which may harm constitutional institutions and lead to tightening American sanctions on Hezbollah in order to harm the Lebanese economy or suspend foreign support for the Lebanese army. Involving Lebanon in the current regional disputes as a player in support of the Iranian axis may subject the country to Israeli aggression.After Minister of Industry Hussein Hajj Hassan (a representative of Hezbollah in the Lebanese government) said he and Minister of Agriculture Ghazi Zaiter (a representative of the Amal Movement in the government), received an invitation from the Syrian minister of Economy and Trade to participate in the International Damascus Exhibition which will be held from August 17 until August 26, some political parties in Lebanon sought rapprochement and cooperation with al-Assad regime to restore political ties.
    [Show full text]
  • LEBANON RESTRICTIONS on BROADCASTING in Whose Interest?
    April 1997 Vol. 9, No. 1(E) LEBANON RESTRICTIONS ON BROADCASTING In Whose Interest? SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................................2 RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................................................4 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................6 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BROADCASTING LAW........................................................................................8 Restrictions on News, Political Programs, and Live Broadcasts....................................................................8 Operating Stations Denied Licenses; News and Political Programs Banned .................................................9 THE REACTION IN LEBANON ............................................................................................................................13 Capacity of the Airwaves Disputed..............................................................................................................15 Organizing Protests......................................................................................................................................16 Ban on Demonstrations Enforced ................................................................................................................17 INTERNATIONAL
    [Show full text]
  • Public Transcript of the Hearing Held on 28 May 2015 in the Case Of
    20150528_STL-11-01_T_T155_OFF_PUB_EN 1/70 PUBLIC Official Transcript Procedural Matters (Open Session) Page 1 1 Special Tribunal for Lebanon 2 In the case of The Prosecutor v. Ayyash, Badreddine, Merhi, 3 Oneissi, and Sabra 4 STL-11-01 5 Presiding Judge David Re, Judge Janet Nosworthy, 6 Judge Micheline Braidy, Judge Walid Akoum, and 7 Judge Nicola Lettieri - [Trial Chamber] 8 Thursday, 28 May 2015 - [Trial Hearing] 9 [Open Session] 10 --- Upon commencing at 10.02 a.m. 11 THE REGISTRAR: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is sitting in an 12 open session in the case of the Prosecutor versus Ayyash, Badreddine, 13 Merhi, Oneissi, and Sabra, case number STL-11-01. 14 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: Good morning to everyone. We will continue 15 with the evidence of Mr. Siniora in a moment. I'll just note the 16 appearances first. 17 We have Mr. Cameron for the Prosecution, Mr. Mattar for the Legal 18 Representatives of Victims. Good morning, Mr. Mattar. We have Mr. Aoun 19 for Mr. Ayyash, Mr. Korkmaz for Mr. Badreddine, Mr. Hassan for 20 Mr. Oneissi, Mr. Roberts for Mr. Sabra, Mr. Khalil for Mr. Merhi. And 21 there are two representatives of the Defence Office seated here. 22 Good morning to you, Mr. Siniora. 23 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Good morning. 24 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: I just have an oral decision I must deliver. 25 So we will continue with the questioning in a moment. Thursday, 28 May 2015 STL-11-01 Interpretation serves to facilitate communication. Only the original speech is authentic. 20150528_STL-11-01_T_T155_OFF_PUB_EN 2/70 PUBLIC Official Transcript Ruling (Open Session) Page 2 1 This is a decision on protective measures for five witnesses.
    [Show full text]
  • How Lebanese Elites Coopt Protest Discourse: a Social Media Analysis
    How Lebanese Elites Coopt Protest Discourse: A Social Media Analysis ."3 Report Policy Alexandra Siegel Founded in 1989, the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies is a Beirut-based independent, non-partisan think tank whose mission is to produce and advocate policies that improve good governance in fields such as oil and gas, economic development, public finance, and decentralization. This report is published in partnership with HIVOS through the Women Empowered for Leadership (WE4L) programme, funded by the Netherlands Foreign Ministry FLOW fund. Copyright© 2021 The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies Designed by Polypod Executed by Dolly Harouny Sadat Tower, Tenth Floor P.O.B 55-215, Leon Street, Ras Beirut, Lebanon T: + 961 1 79 93 01 F: + 961 1 79 93 02 [email protected] www.lcps-lebanon.org How Lebanese Elites Coopt Protest Discourse: A Social Media Analysis Alexandra Siegel Alexandra Siegel is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, a faculty affiliate of NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics and Stanford's Immigration Policy Lab, and a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution. She received her PhD in Political Science from NYU in 2018. Her research uses social media data, network analysis, and experiments—in addition to more traditional data sources—to study mass and elite political behavior in the Arab World and other comparative contexts. She is a former Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former CASA Fellow at the American University in Cairo. She holds a Bachelors in International Relations and Arabic from Tufts University.
    [Show full text]
  • Beirut 1 Electoral District
    The 2018 Lebanese Parliamentary Elections: What Do the Numbers Say? Beirut 1 Electoral Report District Georgia Dagher +"/ Beirut 1 Founded in 1989, the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies is a Beirut-based independent, non-partisan think tank whose mission is to produce and advocate policies that improve good governance in fields such as oil and gas, economic development, public finance, and decentralization. This report is published in partnership with HIVOS through the Women Empowered for Leadership (WE4L) programme, funded by the Netherlands Foreign Ministry FLOW fund. Copyright© 2021 The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies Designed by Polypod Executed by Dolly Harouny Sadat Tower, Tenth Floor P.O.B 55-215, Leon Street, Ras Beirut, Lebanon T: + 961 1 79 93 01 F: + 961 1 79 93 02 [email protected] www.lcps-lebanon.org The 2018 Lebanese Parliamentary Elections: What Do the Numbers Say? Beirut 1 Electoral District Georgia Dagher Georgia Dagher is a researcher at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. Her research focuses on parliamentary representation, namely electoral behavior and electoral reform. She has also previously contributed to LCPS’s work on international donors conferences and reform programs. She holds a degree in Politics and Quantitative Methods from the University of Edinburgh. The author would like to thank Sami Atallah, Daniel Garrote Sanchez, Ayman Makarem, and Micheline Tobia for their contribution to this report. 2 LCPS Report Executive Summary Lebanese citizens were finally given the opportunity to renew their political representation in 2018—nine years after the previous parliamentary elections. Despite this, voters in Beirut 1 were weakly mobilized, and the district had the lowest turnout rate across the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Party Mapping in Lebanon Ahead of the 2018 Elections
    Political Party Mapping in Lebanon Ahead of the 2018 Elections Foreword This study on the political party mapping in Lebanon ahead of the 2018 elections includes a survey of most Lebanese political parties; especially those that currently have or previously had parliamentary or government representation, with the exception of Lebanese Communist Party, Islamic Unification Movement, Union of Working People’s Forces, since they either have candidates for elections or had previously had candidates for elections before the final list was out from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities. The first part includes a systematic presentation of 27 political parties, organizations or movements, showing their official name, logo, establishment, leader, leading committee, regional and local alliances and relations, their stance on the electoral law and their most prominent candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The second part provides the distribution of partisan and political powers over the 15 electoral districts set in the law governing the elections of May 6, 2018. It also offers basic information related to each district: the number of voters, the expected participation rate, the electoral quotient, the candidate’s ceiling on election expenditure, in addition to an analytical overview of the 2005 and 2009 elections, their results and alliances. The distribution of parties for 2018 is based on the research team’s analysis and estimates from different sources. 2 Table of Contents Page Introduction .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Lebanon Interview Former Hezbollah Chief: ‘Tehran Is Only Investing in Lebanon’S Shia to Serve Its Own Interests’
    10 May 8, 2016 News & Analysis Lebanon Interview Former Hezbollah chief: ‘Tehran is only investing in Lebanon’s Shia to serve its own interests’ Mohamad Kawas Hezbollah chief confirmed that the group is using various social, cul- tural and economic pressures, seek- Beirut ing to ensure that Lebanon’s Shias remain in their corner, however re- ubhi al-Tufayli served as the luctantly. first secretary-general of He warned that Hezbollah’s do- Hezbollah from 1989-91, al- mestic and regional opponents were though the group was very playing into the group’s hands by different then compared to acting as if it were truly the sole rep- Snow under Sayyed Hassan Nasral- resentative of Lebanon’s Shias, fail- lah. Since leaving the group in 1992, ing to pay attention or provide sup- Tufayli has become an increasingly port to voices of dissent within the vocal critic of it, particularly over its Shia community. perceived subordination to Tehran. Tufayli said he was referring in The Arab Weekly met with Tu- particular to the Resistance and fayli at his home in Ain Bourday, Development Bloc, an electoral al- a small village in the Bekaa valley liance between Hezbollah and Amal not far from Baalbek. For Tufayli, Movement during Lebanon’s 2005 who says he remains committed to elections. Other Shia political par- the interests of Lebanon’s Shias, it ties or politicians who objected to is not a question of his leaving the the new Shia political makeup were group but rather of Hezbollah leav- ignored, he said. ing him behind.
    [Show full text]