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There are several ongoing obstacles to Lebanon’s cabinet formation process, but among the more significant ones is the presidential ambition of Gebran Bassil, the head of the largest Maronite Christian party, the Free Patriotic Movement. Mr Bassil believes that if he fails to have enough ministers in the government and allows his political rivals to dominate it, he may never see the presidency.
The question is whether Mr Bassil can realistically expect to become president at all in the next election, which is in October 2022. There are really only two ways that he can hope to succeed the current president, his father in law, Michel Aoun. He either has to win a majority of votes in Parliament, or will need Hezbollah to impose him on the political class, as they did Mr Aoun in 2016.
I assert that there has been no sincere and clear position with regards to neutrality from Hezbollah, Al-Rahi told CNBC s Hadley Gamble in Beirut. And I m waiting and I call on them to a meeting here where we talk about neutrality and all its aspects, because neutrality is in the interest of all Lebanese and first Hezbollah. Because they are Lebanese as well. So neutrality is in the interest of all.
Lebanon s Hezbollah, which is Shiite Muslim, remains the most powerful political party and militant group in the country. Acting as a proxy group for Iran, it is blamed by many Lebanese and foreign governments for stoking sectarian tensions and bringing violence into Lebanon.
Published date: 18 April 2021 08:09 UTC | Last update: 1 min 2 sec ago
Ever since the Lebanese government appointed him as the army’s commander in March 2017, General Joseph Aoun has seldom commented on the country’s current affairs.
But four years later, his voice has been getting louder. Speaking in a dimly lit auditorium last month, Aoun scolded the Lebanese government for cutting the army’s budget in a scathing speech.
“Do they want the army or not? Do you want the army to stand on its own two feet or not?” said Aoun angrily, denouncing allegations from unnamed political officials that the military has wasted resources. “We reject anyone who places their hands on the rights of the soldiers.”
How a feud between rival judges symbolises Lebanon s fractious politics thenationalnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenationalnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A groundbreaking campaign is exploding the silence around LGBTIQ family violence
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AprApril 2021 at 7:00pm I hope in my and my mum s story people who may be estranged from their family can see there s hope things can change, said Sage Akouri.
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Sage Akouri was attending an all-girls school in Melbourne when, at age 14, they first came out as gay to their strict Lebanese parents not that they wanted to.
At the time, Sage was in the early stages of privately exploring their sexuality with a close friend when their father installed a recording device on the home phone, so he could listen back to Sage s calls.