Iraq to hold provincial elections on November 6

Iraq to hold provincial elections on November 6
Iraq’s last provincial elections took place in 2013, when loyalists of then prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki came out on top. Above, election officers count votes following the provincial elections. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 20 March 2023

Iraq to hold provincial elections on November 6

Iraq to hold provincial elections on November 6
  • Elections for the councils, the first in a decade, will take place in 15 of 18 Iraqi provinces

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s parliament has set November 6 as the date for elections for provincial councils, powerful bodies that were dissolved amid anti-government protests in 2019.
“Provincial elections will take place on November 6, 2023,” a statement from parliament said Monday, after lawmakers agreed on the date overnight.
The elections for the councils, the first in a decade, will take place in 15 of 18 Iraqi provinces, excluding the three provinces in the autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.
The provincial councils, created by the 2005 constitution following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, carry relatively significant power in federal Iraq, including allocating the budgets for health, transport and education.
The last provincial elections took place in 2013, when loyalists of then prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki came out on top.
The next provincial elections should have taken place in 2018, but were postponed.
A year later, amid vast anti-government rallies, protesters demanded and obtained the dissolution of the provincial councils, in part because critics accused them of being rife with corruption.
Alaa Al-Rikabi, an independent MP who emerged in the aftermath of the October 2019 protest movement, condemned the return of the councils.
“We refuse to allow them to be reinstated,” he said, adding that they “open the door wide to corruption.”


After Saudi visit, Blinken raises Palestinian state with Israel PM

After Saudi visit, Blinken raises Palestinian state with Israel PM
Updated 41 min 13 sec ago

After Saudi visit, Blinken raises Palestinian state with Israel PM

After Saudi visit, Blinken raises Palestinian state with Israel PM
  • Blinken spoke by telephone with Netanyahu on “deepening Israel’s integration into the Middle East through normalization with countries in the region”
  • Saudi FM earlier said any normalization with Israel will have limited benefits " without finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people"

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to undermine prospects for a Palestinian state, after talks in Saudi Arabia which linked normalization to peace efforts.

Blinken spoke by telephone with Netanyahu to discuss “deepening Israel’s integration into the Middle East through normalization with countries in the region,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Blinken “discussed the need to uphold the commitments made at regional meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh to avoid measures that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution,” Miller said, referring to talks earlier this year in Jordan and Egypt that brought Israeli, Palestinian and US officials together.
Blinken in a speech this week before the leading US pro-Israel group said that he would work to win recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia — a major goal for Israel due to the kingdom’s size and role as guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites.
Speaking alongside Blinken on Thursday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that normalization with Israel “is in the interest of the region” and would “bring significant benefits to all.”
“But without finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people, without addressing that challenge, any normalization will have limited benefits,” he said.
“Therefore, I think we should continue to focus on finding a pathway toward a two-state solution, on finding a pathway toward giving the Palestinians dignity and justice.”
Netanyahu during his last stint in power won normalization from the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain in what both he and the then US administration of Donald Trump saw as crowning achievements.
The longest-serving Israeli premier has returned to power leading the country’s most right-wing government ever with supporters adamantly opposed to a Palestinian state.

 


Israeli reforms ‘threat to Palestine’: report

Israeli reforms ‘threat to Palestine’: report
Updated 09 June 2023

Israeli reforms ‘threat to Palestine’: report

Israeli reforms ‘threat to Palestine’: report

RAMALLAH: Controversial judicial reforms proposed by Israeli’s far-right coalition government pose a threat to Palestinians, an independent commission of inquiry set up by the UN said on Thursday.

The proposals, which would curb some Supreme Court powers and increase government control of judicial appointments, have set off unprecedented protests in Israel.

In a 56-page report, the commission said proposed legislation could increase taxation of pro-Palestinian NGOs and limit their ability to document Israeli soldiers’ activities in the occupied West Bank.

Other proposals by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extreme religious-nationalist coalition would strip Israel’s Arab minority of citizenship and enable their deportation if they commit pro-Palestinian violence, the report said.

“The proposed changes would dismantle fundamental features of the separation of powers and of the checks and balances essential in democratic political systems,” it said.

“Legal experts have warned that they risk weakening human rights protections, especially for the most vulnerable and disfavored communities, including Palestinian citizens.”

The commission, set up by the UN’s Human Rights Council in 2021, found Israel had increasingly stifled rights advocates “through harassment, threats, arrests, interrogations, arbitrary detention, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment.”

The commission, which conducted about 130 interviews, also found that Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza had targeted Palestinian rights activists.

“The arrest and detention of Palestinian activists by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities was noted as a particularly harsh reality for many Palestinian activists,” the report said.


Yemen’s central bank denies depletion of foreign currency reserves

Yemen’s central bank denies depletion of foreign currency reserves
Updated 08 June 2023

Yemen’s central bank denies depletion of foreign currency reserves

Yemen’s central bank denies depletion of foreign currency reserves
  • Media report suggests value is less than $200m
  • IMF praises government’s efforts to bolster economy, increase revenue

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s central bank has sufficient foreign reserves outside the country to fulfill its needs for hard currency and payments for imports, the Aden-based lender said.

The bank rejected media reports that its reserves had fallen below $200 million and said that despite the suspension of crude exports it had sufficient funds to meet demand and stabilize the national currency.

The reserves were held in a number of international banks and were sufficient for it to carry out its duties, it said.

It added it “will continue to hold weekly (foreign exchange) auctions to cover a portion of the market’s foreign currency requirements for imports of basic and essential materials through a transparent and competitive mechanism.”

The statement came after a Reuters report citing three Yemeni government sources said the central bank’s foreign currency reserves were almost depleted, having fallen below $200 million.

One of the sources declined to give a figure for the value of the reserves — to prevent a collapse of the Yemeni riyal — but the lender dismissed the claims and said its reserves were healthy.

Concerns were raised after representatives from the International Monetary Fund said that Houthi attacks on oil facilities in government-controlled Hadramout and Shabwa had reduced the country’s primary source of foreign currency revenue by more than 50 percent, which along with the rise in global oil prices, would increase its fiscal deficit to 2.5 percent of GDP in 2022.

“Without a resumption of oil exports, the deficit is expected to widen further in 2023 despite cuts in much-needed expenditures,” the IMF team’s leader Joyce Wong said.

But she lauded the Yemeni government’s efforts to bolster the economy and increase revenue, which include strengthening state bodies, controlling expenditure, budget planning, tax management, taking additional measures to implement market exchange rates for customs revenues and controlling inflation.

“The mission encouraged the authorities to maintain this welcome reform momentum, including to push forward reforms in the electricity sector to reduce costs and increase revenue collection.”

Despite the central bank’s upbeat statement and the IMF’s backing for the government, the Yemeni riyal on Thursday fell to a new low of 1,350 to the US dollar, from 1,200 a month ago.

The currency began falling late last month, probably due to a stalemate in international diplomatic efforts to achieve a deal between Yemen’s warring factions.


Economic integration key to African peace, says Egyptian president

Economic integration key to African peace, says Egyptian president
Updated 08 June 2023

Economic integration key to African peace, says Egyptian president

Economic integration key to African peace, says Egyptian president
  • El-Sisi calls for continental unity while handing over leadership of COMESA trade bloc

CAIRO: Advancing economic integration in Africa is key to achieving peace and security on the continent, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has said.

His comments on Thursday came at the 22nd Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in Zambia.

He said: “Egypt has assumed the leadership of the COMESA over the past two years, during a very delicate period that witnessed important developments at the international and regional levels.”

The Egyptian leader highlighted important steps that the group has made over the past two years.

He said: “With regard to the field of economic development, Egypt has paid great attention to activating the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement and achieving harmony between it and the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area through specific measures to urge member states to implement customs exemptions and facilitate the movement of trade exchange among them.

“These efforts resulted in an increase in intra-exports of the COMESA to reach $13 billion in 2022, the highest value since the establishment of the free trade zone within the framework of the COMESA in 2000.”

Trade between Egypt and the COMESA countries last year reached its highest value ever, $4.3 billion, since Egypt joined the bloc, El-Sisi added.

EAC and SADC refer to Southern African Development Community and East African Community, respectively.

COMESA includes 21 countries: Egypt, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Malawi, Madagascar, Libya, Seychelles, Rwanda, Mauritius, Tunisia, Sudan, Somalia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

El-Sisi also highlighted recent developments in a number of African countries, notably Sudan, with the situation “requiring us to join forces to support its people.”

He said: “I emphasize that Egypt is assuming its responsibilities as a direct neighboring country by making all endeavors with the active parties and international partners, and engaging in existing mechanisms, to ensure coordination between them in order to reach a secure and stable Sudan.”

The Egyptian president announced his country’s candidature for the African Peace and Security Council for the 2024–2026 term.

Egypt’s proposed leadership demonstrates its belief in supporting peace and security efforts on the continent, he said.

El-Sisi announced the end of Egypt’s chairmanship of the COMESA, saying: “It is my pleasure to hand over the chairmanship of the COMESA to my brother, president of the Republic of Zambia.”

A new bureau of the COMESA Summit was also announced by the Egyptian leader, and will include Zambia as chair, Burundi as vice chair and Egypt as rapporteur.

El-Sisi arrived in Zambia on Wednesday on an official visit after ending his visit to Angola at the start of an African tour that also includes Mozambique.

He met Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on the sidelines of the COMESA Summit.

The two leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations, agreeing on the importance of activating mechanisms for cooperation and developing economic ties.

They stressed the need to reach the goals outlined in the African Development Agenda 2063.

The continent’s strategic agenda promotes inclusive and sustainable development as part of a pan-African drive for unity.

Separately, Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics revealed an annual increase in trade between Egypt and southern African countries — Zambia, Mozambique, and Angola — of 6.5 percent.

In 2022, Egyptian trade with the three countries grew to $381.9 million from 2021’s $358.6 million.


Lebanon recalls France envoy after rape accusation: ministry

Lebanon recalls France envoy after rape accusation: ministry
Updated 08 June 2023

Lebanon recalls France envoy after rape accusation: ministry

Lebanon recalls France envoy after rape accusation: ministry
  • Adwan is being investigated in France following complaints by two former embassy employees
  • Recalling the diplomat to Lebanon, however, could put him beyond the grasp of the French authorities, as Lebanon does not extradite its nationals

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s foreign ministry said Thursday it was recalling its ambassador to France, Rami Adwan, after an investigation was opened into allegations of rape and intentional violence by the envoy.
Adwan is being investigated in France following complaints by two former embassy employees.
Recalling the diplomat to Lebanon, however, could put him beyond the grasp of the French authorities, as Lebanon does not extradite its nationals.
“Following the circumstances surrounding the case of the Lebanese ambassador to France... it has been decided to recall ambassador Rami Adwan,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The envoy has rejected the allegations.
Lebanon this week sent an investigation team to the embassy in Paris to question the ambassador and hear statements from embassy staff.
Thursday’s foreign ministry statement said the decision to recall Adwan also came “in light of” the dispatch of that team to France.
It said a charge d’affaires was appointed on Wednesday.
A first former embassy employee, aged 31, had filed a complaint in June 2022 for a rape she said was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador’s private apartment, sources close to the investigation told AFP earlier, confirming a report by the Mediapart news site.
According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the ambassador, who carried out “psychological and physical violence with daily humiliations.”
The second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February after what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual relations.
She claims Adwan tried to hit her with his car after an argument on the sidelines of last year’s Normandy World Peace Forum.
She also accused the ambassador of trying to suffocate her at her home last December by pressing her face to her bed.
Adwan’s lawyer Karim Beylouni has said his client “contests all accusations of aggression in any shape or form: verbal, moral, sexual.”
He said Adwan had had “romantic relationships” with the two women between 2018 and 2022 that were “punctuated by arguments and breakups.”
A French diplomatic source told AFP on Monday that French authorities would ask Lebanon to lift the ambassador’s immunity.
France’s foreign ministry had earlier told AFP that “in view of the seriousness of the facts mentioned, we consider it necessary for the Lebanese authorities to lift the immunity of the Lebanese ambassador in Paris in order to facilitate the work of the French judicial authorities.”