The wave of nominations surged just hours before the deadline for candidacies closed at midnight tonight, reaching 745 candidates. The Shiite team finalized its preparations, as President Nabih Berri, the first candidate from his list, announced the nominated names, where four candidates dropped out and four new ones entered under the title “Hope Unites Us.” Meanwhile, President Najib Mikati abstained from running, following the lead of former Presidents Tamam Salam and Saad Hariri, with President Fouad Siniora expected to announce a similar stance today, while confirming support for a list currently being formulated after the nominations are completed, ahead of the deadline for registering lists on April 5, coinciding with the first days of Ramadan.
The slogans of the lists were characterized by defiance, bordering on arrogance; the Lebanese Forces' election slogan was “what we want,” while the Free Patriotic Movement’s slogan was “We were... and we will remain,” serving as weapons for mobilization, incitement, and division prior to heading to the polling stations.
The deadline for submitting nominations for the parliamentary elections ends at midnight today, with 745 candidates having submitted their official papers to the Ministry of Interior as of yesterday. Prominently absent among these was Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who announced his withdrawal from the parliamentary elections but called for voter turnout. Notable candidates who submitted their nominations yesterday included Gebran Bassil, Samy Gemayel, Talal Arslan, and his deputy in the party, Nseib Jouhary (from Beirut II). Samer Saadeh, despite the Kataeb party's decision to nominate Majd Butros Harb, also presented his candidacy along with several MPs from the Future bloc.
Contrary to the Future movement's decision and MP Bahia Hariri's non-consent, both Youssef Al-Nakib, head of the electoral machine in Sidon, and attorney Hassan Shamseddine submitted their candidacies for the Sunni seats in Sidon. On the other hand, the President of the People's Movement, Najah Wakim, announced that he and his companions would not participate in the election, neither as candidates nor voters.
These elections have drawn regional attention following the visit of Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit to Beirut, where he noted, as he stated, a “presidential insistence on holding the elections.” He added that despite rumors of him conveying a message regarding Arab reactions to Lebanon's response to the Kuwaiti initiative, sources in Baabda confirmed to Al-Liwaa that he conveyed no message, answers, or clear data but reaffirmed during his meeting with the President that the League is in contact with related countries concerning the Kuwaiti initiative. Aboul Gheit also mentioned that “there will be a consultative meeting for Arab ministers in Beirut in mid this year.”
**Mikati: Withdrawal and a Call for Participation**
Prime Minister Mikati announced his withdrawal from running in the parliamentary elections. He stated: “I call upon all Lebanese to participate in the elections because real change begins at the ballot box, not just in expressing opinions through media or social media and on the streets.” He added, “I believe in the inevitability of change and the necessity of making way for the new generation to voice their opinions and determine their choices through the upcoming parliamentary elections.”
Mikati emphasized that a responsible individual should be entirely detached from any personal interest, especially in this democratic process we are about to undertake, and highlighted that the experience of the government he led in 2005 was a model for separating election administration from candidacy, enabling the nation to transition successfully during its hardest phase.
He wished success for everyone and stated his intention to support the efforts of those chosen by the people and to cooperate with everyone for the common good, stating, “No one can eliminate anyone; Lebanon is governed only by partnership, and I invite the Lebanese, especially my fellow citizens in Tripoli, to participate in the elections.”
**Berri: The Outside Funds the Inside**
In a press conference devoted to the parliamentary elections, Speaker Nabih Berri remarked on the significant international and regional interest in this constitutional entitlement, stating, “Although the world stands on the edge of a potential Third World War or a calculated settlement, this interest or intervention is not simply out of good intentions; many want to transform the entitlement into sectarian and sectarian projects, and the slander has reached its peak over the past three years.”
Berri expressed his regret that “some external parties are financing certain internal groups to achieve strategic political goals to change Lebanon's identity and constants,” asserting that “the voices of competitors in the elections should not overshadow the voices of the vast majority of Lebanese, who have fallen below the poverty line.” He confirmed that the **elections will occur on May 15**, following the closure of all doors for amendments or delays, emphasizing that the electoral entitlement must not obscure the needs and food security of the Lebanese, especially in the current moment that sees the return of the demons of monopolization exploiting the populace.
He identified the program for the “Amal Movement” and the “Development and Liberation Bloc” under the slogan “Through Unity, Hope to Rescue Lebanon,” which includes: adhering to the constitution and executing what has not been implemented from the Taif Agreement, emphasizing the need to discard electoral laws that do not ensure the participation of all, working to pass a modern electoral law, protecting depositors' rights, ensuring not to waste any drop of water or cubic meter of oil resources offshore while asserting that the framework agreement is the available means to achieve demarcation with Israel, enacting a law for decentralized governance, democratically pressing for implementing what has been completed from reform laws, continuing the investigation into the port explosion without covering any assailant, and rejecting any form of normalization of relations with Libyan authorities until the crime of kidnapping Imam Moussa Sadr is uncovered. He noted that “the issue of boundary demarcation is a sovereign file not to be linked with any internal entitlement.”
Berri announced the names of 17 election nominees:
* **Tyre-Zahrani District:** Inaya Ezzeddine, Ali Khreis, Ali Assirian, Michel Moussa, and Nabih Berri.
* **Nabatieh-Bint Jbeil-Marjeyoun-Hasbaya District:** Ayoub Hamid, Ashraf Baydoun, Hani Qabisi, Nasser Jabir, Ali Hassan Khalil, Qassem Hashim, and Marwan Khair al-Din.
* **Sidon-Jezin District:** Ibrahim Azar.
* **Second Beirut District:** Mohammad Khawaja.
* **Bikfaya District:** Fadi Alama.
* **Northern Bekaa District:** Ghazi Zaiter.
* **Western Bekaa-Rachaya District:** Qabalan Qabalan.
**Jumblatt: On Holding May 15**
In Maarab, Samir Geagea, President of the “Lebanese Forces” party, stated during the launch of the electoral campaign commemorating “March 14” that “when the homeland is under threat, institutions are hijacked, the constitution is nearly suspended, and the people are in despair while Beirut explodes, the electoral battle is not just a political battle but an existential one.” He continued, “Our battle today is one of existence. Either we preserve what remains of Lebanon and regain what we lost, or we witness its demise; either we maintain what remains of freedom and restore a state of freedoms together, or we all return to the great prison.”
He added, “Between those who want and those who cannot, what remains is what we want and what we can.” He urged Hezbollah to learn from the experience of Ukrainian resistance and to stop impersonating resistance in Lebanon, emphasizing that it is closer to being an Iranian occupying force or a separatist force.
He called on Lebanese to transform May 15 into an electoral March 14, symbolizing freedom, sovereignty, and independence, and to turn it into an electoral October 17, representing a revolution against corruption, waste, and mismanagement of the state.
**Aboul Gheit’s Tour**
Amidst these dynamics, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit toured officials, discussing the local and regional conditions. He expressed happiness about being in Lebanon and reported that he discussed with President Michel Aoun the general Arab situation, particularly the situation in Lebanon, and the recent regional developments, especially the scenarios between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the preparations for the upcoming Arab summit in Algeria on November 1. When asked whether the League would send a team to monitor the parliamentary elections, he replied: “We raised this point with President Aoun and the League’s continuous readiness to send a team was expressed; we have previously done this in Algeria, Iraq, Palestine, and many areas, and I believe we will carry out this action.”
Regarding the Kuwaiti initiative, he noted he informed the President of the reactions but could not disclose them publicly, sharing the outcomes of the communications conducted in this context.
President Aoun confirmed during the meeting that the current regional and international circumstances and the turmoil affecting various countries require, more than ever, swift work to achieve solidarity among Arab states to confront the repercussions of these events with a unified stance that protects the interests of their peoples. He also reassured Aboul Gheit that “the parliamentary elections will take place on time on May 15, welcoming any Arab League oversight of these elections.” He pointed out that “the Syrian refugee issue in Lebanon continues to heavily weigh on the general Lebanese situation, necessitating urgent treatment, especially since combat has ceased in most Syrian regions.”
From the Grand Serail, Aboul Gheit stated after meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati that “the discussion was extremely fruitful, covering Lebanese conditions and upcoming elections, the international situation, its impacts on the conditions in the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon, and Arab countries, as well as the Kuwaiti-Gulf initiative.” He sensed hope for a better future for this ancient country.
When asked if the Arab initiative was still valid, he replied: “The initiative is generally present, and we hope it will proceed. He added, in response to a question: “There are elections coming, which contribute to achieving stability, reunification, the formation of a new government, and a restart with the International Monetary Fund, as it is the key; all of this depends on the internal political movement because the elections will be decisive.”
Aboul Gheit also visited Ain al-Tineh and met with Speaker Berri.
**Council of Ministers and Obfuscation**
On the political front, the Council of Ministers will hold a regular session tomorrow at 4 PM at the Grand Serail, with 35 items on its agenda, including 17 items regarding the implementing texts of active laws. In commenting on the government’s operations, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt wrote via Twitter: “It seems that this government or some of its elements have decided to completely obscure the electricity file, following promises regarding Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity, yet it insists on Salhida.” He added that this government negotiated the new commitment to the Port of Beirut by consensus and raised broad acquisitions that pertain to the public good while entirely forgetting about the ration card.
**Payments of Safety Net Program**
Regarding government efforts on the living situation, the Prime Minister announced the commencement of cash assistance payments within the emergency program for the “Aman” social safety net funded by the World Bank, driven by initiative and effort from the Ministry of Social Affairs. Mikati held a press meeting on this matter at the Grand Serail, with the participation of Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar and Saroj Kumar Jha, Director of the Mashreq Department at the World Bank, along with his deputy Saada Al-Shami and a number of ministers and general directors.
He stated: “This step has become more than urgent given the hard circumstances our country is experiencing, providing essential support considering the available financial capabilities and prioritizing assistance to the most needy families.” He emphasized that “our aspirations and government efforts focus on devising a program for economic recovery to lift Lebanon from the suffocating crisis that the Lebanese are currently enduring while revitalizing the economic cycle, thereby enhancing the Lebanese capacity to rise again.”
The World Bank issued a statement indicating: “The Lebanese government announced the beginning of cash transfers to 150,000 Lebanese families from the poorest households, in the framework of the emergency social safety net project funded by the World Bank, known as the ‘Aman’ program. The program will provide approximately 680,000 individuals with monthly cash transfers of 20 US dollars for each family member (with a maximum of 6 members), in addition to a fixed sum of 25 US dollars for each household. It will also cover direct schooling costs for 87,000 children aged between 13 and 18 to reduce school dropouts among the poorest households.”
He added: “This emergency assistance will provide immediate relief to Lebanese families living in extreme poverty, who have suffered from severe economic and financial crises over the past two and a half years, leading to a huge increase in poverty levels, worrying inflation rates, and a sharp depreciation of purchasing power.”
He explained that the total number of families registered on the support platform has reached 583,000, 200,000 of which met the initial eligibility criteria for the “Aman” program. Home visits for verifying potential beneficiaries commenced on February 17, managed by the World Food Programme, which will continue until mid-June. To ensure cash transfers reach the eligible as quickly as possible, the verification and eligibility determination process is currently being conducted in parallel with payment processes. The World Food Programme will manage the cash transfers to eligible families through local money transfer agents, aiming to cover all 150,000 families by the end of June 2022, with backdated payments starting from January 2022 and lasting for one year.
**Maritime Boundary Demarcation**
On the maritime boundary demarcation front, Al-Liwaa learned that the technical committee studying the report from American mediator Amos Hochstein is still in the preliminary discussion phase to prepare a written response to Hochstein’s proposal. Once this response is prepared, it will be communicated to the Prime Minister because the response does not entail a contractual agreement or commitment but serves as an inquiry; at the same time, where there’s positivity recorded and clarification needed, it should be documented, and where further explanation is required, the committee is still in this phase, but it must rush the process.
**Confrontation between Banks and Aoun**
On the judicial-banking confrontation aspect, the new developments indicate that Mount Lebanon’s Public Prosecutor Ghada Aoun has placed a temporary seizure order on the properties, vehicles, shares, and portions in all commercial companies belonging to banks such as Bank of Beirut, Bank of the Return, Bank of Lebanon and the Overseas, Mediterranean Bank, and Société Générale, as well as on those belonging to the chairmen and board members of these banks.
The Association of Banks, in a statement, said: “In reference to the judicial measures recently issued against certain banks and their boards of directors by the Public Prosecutor in Mount Lebanon, which constitutes an overreach of authority as they lack legal basis, the Association of Banks in Lebanon condemns these illegal decisions which lead to further destabilization of the banking system.”
**Health Update**
On the health front, the Ministry of Public Health recorded 632 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the cumulative total of confirmed lab cases since February 21, 2020, to 1,085,232 cases.
