It has been observed that the resolution of diplomatic and political disputes between Lebanon and more than one Arab and Western country occurs through party members and advisors, away from diplomatic and governmental frameworks. It was learned that meetings are held by a former government official, away from the media, with most of the components that were part of a sovereignty team, not limited to the electoral aspect, but also falling under the title of political confrontation.
One potential candidate for a parliamentary seat expressed his disappointment with his allies for not yet deciding on his nomination or exclusion. Prominent party circles are circulating news about a heated argument between two senior officials, leading the party to take punitive measures against them. Ministers commented on a statement made by a senior reference regarding the Bisri dam, saying, "He ran out of patience with the Minister of Environment."
Diplomatic observers have indicated that Moscow is not encouraging an agreement on nuclear matters during this period before clarifying the situation on the front with Ukraine. A Beirut MP, from a party that has announced its withdrawal from the elections, has been unable to form a list of sects that would allow him to fill the gap in the capital. A political source described the relationship between two allied factions as a "cat and mouse game" until the situation clarifies in May.
A source following the forensic auditing instructed the company "Alvarez and Marsal," tasked with auditing the Central Bank of Lebanon's accounts, to expand its mission by requesting financial data and accounts of companies and entities owned or in which the Central Bank has a stake. Some first-category employees are betting on a technical postponement of the parliamentary elections to liberate themselves from the requirement to resign six months before the council's term ends, considering that the postponement would nullify the requirements related to deadlines and candidacy eligibility. There are talks about one of the Arab security agencies restarting its office in Lebanon in preparation for reviving its political role internally under regional cover.
A former political official is just a few days away from deciding his stance on an issue with popular and political implications. There is an abundance of dialogue programs across various media outlets as preparations for the electoral entitlement begin.
Sources associated with the electoral file stated that the impossibility of adopting the "megacenter" without delaying the election date necessitates allocating the supposed cost to secure voters' transportation by renting 1,000 buses at the state's expense, thereby eliminating transport as an electoral bribe and relieving voters of the burden of transportation costs. Sources in Vienna noted that the completion of the Russian-American-Iranian agreement regarding the non-impact of Western sanctions on Russia on commercial relations between Russia and Iran, after the agreement, has paved the way for the foreign ministers involved in the agreement to move to Vienna for final touches before signing.
Some civil society groups complain about the influence of resigned MP Paula Yacoubian on the main decision regarding the formation of lists and her attempts to blackmail platforms to impose candidates close to her, under the threat of exiting the coalition, prompting other platforms to comply, especially since her husband is one of the financiers, and the basic condition for external supporters is to form a single coalition for financial support. For instance, in Zahle, Yacoubian seeks to impose doctor Eid Azar for the Orthodox seat and candidate Narek Ibrahimi for the Armenian Orthodox seat, refusing to adhere to the mechanism for selecting candidates. In Beirut I, she nominated Ziad Abi Shakir for the Maronite seat and designated a candidate alongside her for the Armenian seat, as well as agreeing with former Aoun activist Ziad Abbas to exclude Jumana Haddad and nominate Cynthia Zarazir, close to Abbas, for the minorities' seat. Yacoubian also wants to name the supposed Armenian candidate on the opposition list in the northern Metn.
The ground floor hall of the building affiliated with the Ministry of Finance designated for processing applications for parliamentary elections witnessed congestion yesterday due to a malfunction in the program designated for executing transactions and entering the required data to complete the nomination process, leading to a stoppage of work for more than two hours.
