Lebanese opposition parties ‘reach consensus’ on presidential candidate

A handout picture released by the Lebanese Parliament shows a general view of a parliamentary session in the Lebanese capital Beirut. (AFP file photo)
A handout picture released by the Lebanese Parliament shows a general view of a parliamentary session in the Lebanese capital Beirut. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 02 June 2023
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Lebanese opposition parties ‘reach consensus’ on presidential candidate

Lebanese opposition parties ‘reach consensus’ on presidential candidate
  • Lebanon has been in constitutional crisis since Michel Aoun left the presidential palace seven months ago

BEIRUT: A Lebanese MP has said opposition parties have reached consensus on a presidential candidate, in an apparent breakthrough that could end a seven-month power vacuum.

Fadi Karam, of Lebanese Forces, told Arab News that “all signs were positive” that the Free Patriotic Movement, a one-time ally of Hezbollah, had agreed to endorse the nomination of Jihad Azour, currently the director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund.

“We reached an agreement with the FPM and we are looking for the right time to announce it officially,” he said after opposition parties met on Friday. “Each party might announce its stance, but what’s certain is that the FPM endorses Azour and will announce its stance individually.”

He said announcements could be made before Monday.

Karam added that Azour’s backers were “communicating with other parties, including the Progressive Socialist Party, the Moderation Bloc, and independents,” to secure more votes to secure the necessary 65 votes for Azour’s election. “Signs are positive,” he added.

Lebanon has been in constitutional crisis since Michel Aoun left the presidential palace seven months ago. There have been 11 failed election sessions by MPs since then, prompting the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, to say that he would refuse another unless “at least two serious presidential candidates are presented”. He warned that “disruption and intimidation would be of no use or benefit.”

Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and their allies support the candidacy of former minister and head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Frangieh. The FPM was Hezbollah’s ally before turning against it after it endorsed Frangieh’s candidacy.

Azour was first put forward by Christian parties and their efforts are now mainly focused on getting the FPM to approve his nomination.

Some other opposition parties meanwhile have supported Michel Mouawad.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi is among the opposition forces pressing speaker Berri to schedule an electoral session.

“Berri should have called a meeting two months before the end of former president Michel Aoun’s term, but some people violate the constitution,” Al-Rahi said after returning from a trip to the Vatican.

He said the Vatican and France had asked him to “work internally with other components, so Christian parties would agree on a presidential candidate” and that he would speak to anyone, “including Berri and Hezbollah.”

Barbara Leaf, US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, said that the US administration was considering sanctions on Lebanese officials for their continued obstruction in the election of a new president.

She added in a statement: “The administration is very disappointed in the current situation in Lebanon, and is cooperating with its local and European partners to push the Lebanese parliament to carry out its duties.

“The Lebanese people’s representatives failed at doing their job, and the parliament speaker failed at holding parliamentary sessions since last January to allow deputies to nominate presidential candidates and vote for them to elect a president.”

In a visit to Lebanon in March, Leaf had warned against “the collapse of Lebanon as a state” and said that time had “started to run out.” She was surprised that there wasn’t “any sense of urgency on the part of many political leaders and deputies.”

Reformist MP Waddah Sadek said he was confident that two “serious candidates” would be officially nominated by the end of this week.

“The first serious candidate is Frangieh. Before next Monday, the second serious candidate will be announced, after receiving the approval of many parliamentary blocs and deputies,” he said.

“We will be looking forward to a speedy parliamentary session next week. If anything happens and the quorum is lost, we will consider this a new obstruction and a blow to what’s left of the country’s democracy, if any.”

Independent MP Bilal Houshaymi affirmed his support for “the Christian parties’ agreement to nominate Azour, whose professional position at the World Bank allows him to lead Lebanon’s recovery out of the abyss.”

Houshaymi said Frangieh “isn’t accepted by most Christian parties at a time when he calls for consensus.”

He said Hezbollah wanted to carry on with its statelet within the Lebanese state, even if at the expense of other components.

Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, said: “The presidential election isn’t about the people, but rather about who wishes the resistance well and who stabs the resistance in the back.”

Raad said Hezbollah "supports Frangieh because we are confident that he will not stab the resistance in the back and he is capable of being a bridge of communication between us and the others, including our political adversaries. He is also capable of communicating with our Arab surroundings, as well as with countries concerned with Lebanese affairs.”

Those opposing Frangieh’s nomination “are prolonging the presidential vacuum period and they want to dominate the country at the service of its enemies,” he added.

 

 


Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 

Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 
Updated 22 sec ago
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Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 

Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 
  • Iraq advocates for a Syrian-Syrian resolution to the Syrian crisis and a Yemeni-Yemeni solution to the Yemeni situation

Boosting the humanitarian response rates in Yemen and Syria aligns with Iraq’s foreign policy objective, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday. 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to a balanced approach in representing Iraq’s interests. It has consistently conveyed its stance on key developments in Yemen, Syria, and various Arab nations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf told Iraqi News Agency.

“Iraq advocates for a Syrian-Syrian resolution to the Syrian crisis and a Yemeni-Yemeni solution to the Yemeni situation, without external intervention. Our commitment lies in an escalating and expanding effort to achieve the highest levels of humanitarian response, given the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Yemen and Syria,” Al-Sahhaf added.

Al-Sahhaf said Iraq had voiced this position during its participation in international meetings led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein. 

“Our primary focus is on securing the necessary resources and support for all parties involved in Yemen and Syria, with the aim of facilitating a path that preserves the unity of interests within these countries. This is the foundational principle guiding our efforts,” he said. 

The Iraqi official says his country is committed to regional stability and the well-being of its neighbors, as it actively engages in diplomatic efforts to address the crises in Yemen and Syria while placing a strong emphasis on humanitarian assistance.


Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general
Updated 32 min 7 sec ago
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Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani held talks recently with Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Al-Zayani and Guterres discussed Bahrain’s cooperation with the UN and its agencies, and various topics of common interest, state news agency BNA reported on Sunday. 

Guterres thanked Bahrain for its support of the UN, and progress in developing a sustainable economy, and wished the kingdom further prosperity.


UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative

UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative
Updated 29 min 11 sec ago
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UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative

UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative
  • Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for the UAE’s stable supply of crude oil to Japan and the UAE’s generosity in helping Japanese companies participate in upstream development over many years

TOKYO: Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, met with Japanese Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko in Tokyo on Monday in the first ministerial level meeting under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative.

“It is my pleasure to meet you for the first time,” said Kamikawa, who was appointed Foreign Minister on Sept. 13. “Please let me begin by expressing my heartfelt appreciation for the congratulations message you sent me on my appointment as the Foreign Minister of Japan.”

Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for the UAE’s stable supply of crude oil to Japan and the UAE’s generosity in helping Japanese companies participate in upstream development over many years. She also asked for the UAE to help in stabilizing the crude oil market and for possible production increases. 

“I must congratulate you for your new post and want you to know that I want to establish a very direct dialogue and relationship and partnership with you and expand our strategic partnership and the relationship between our two countries,” Al Jaber told Kamikawa.

The two ministers exchanged views on the “Japan-UAE Innovation Partnership” and the “Global Green Energy Hub” concept discussed during Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s recent visit to the UAE.  

Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for Minister Jaber’s support in receiving Prime Minister Kishida in the UAE in July this year. 

“Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to the UAE in July was very fruitful,” she said. “I thank you once again for your support. Japan puts great importance on its relationship with the UAE as its strategic partner. I look forward to working together with the UAE and enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields, as well as responding to the challenges in the Middle East region and for the international community.” In response, Minister Jaber expressed his strong hopes to strengthen bilateral relations with Japan. 

Kamikawa stated that Japan is fully committed to making its utmost contribution to the success of COP28, which will take place in the UAE from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. As COP28 President-Designate, Jaber explained the status of preparations for COP28 and looked forward to Japan’s contributions. 

The two ministers also exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of defense, cooperation in the international arena, including the UN Security Council, expos and other issues.

The ministerial level meeting of the CSPI was established through the “Joint Declaration on the Implementation of the CSPI” signed between Japan and the UAE in September 2022. The two ministers agreed to continue utilizing the CSPI framework as a forum for consultation between the two countries. 

This article was first publishing on arabnews.jp 


Libya orders 23 officials arrested after flood: prosecutor

Libya orders 23 officials arrested after flood: prosecutor
Updated 25 September 2023
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Libya orders 23 officials arrested after flood: prosecutor

Libya orders 23 officials arrested after flood: prosecutor
  • The official death toll keeps rising, passing 3,800 on Saturday

DUBAI: Libya’s Public Prosecution on Monday ordered the arrest of several officials in relation to the flash flood that devastated the Libyan port city of Derna two weeks ago – killing thousands.
In a statement the Public Prosecutor’s Office said it was decided to detain 16 officials responsible for managing the country’s dam facilities, 6 officials from the Water Resources Authority, and the Derna mayor “for deviating from the obligations of the mandate of managing funds allocated for the reconstruction and development of the city.”
The official death toll keeps rising, passing 3,800 on Saturday from a flash flood that broke through two ageing dams upstream from Derna.
A wall of water swept through the area on Sept. 10, washing thousands of people into the sea.
According to the statement, investigators finished conducting the initial interrogations and recommended detaining the responsible in pre-trial detention.
They went on to request the necessary investigation into the rest of those responsible for the Derna flood incident.


Iran says 28 Daesh members held over bomb plot timed with anniversary of Mahsa Amini protests

Iran's police forces walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. (REUTERS)
Iran's police forces walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. (REUTERS)
Updated 25 September 2023
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Iran says 28 Daesh members held over bomb plot timed with anniversary of Mahsa Amini protests

Iran's police forces walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. (REUTERS)
  • Iran's intelligence ministry says 30 bombs meant to explode simultaneously were defused 
  • The explosions in Tehran were timed during the anniversary of last year’s Mahsa Amini protests

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have arrested 28 people linked to the Daesh group for plotting to target Tehran during the anniversary of last year’s protests, the intelligence ministry said on Sunday.

The protests erupted after the death in custody on September 16, 2022, of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women.

“In recent days, during a series of simultaneous operations in Tehran, Alborz and West Azerbaijan provinces, several terrorist bases and team houses were attacked, and 28 members of the said terrorist network were arrested,” the ministry said on its website.

“These elements are affiliated to the professional crime group of Daesh (Daesh group) and some of them have a history of accompanying takfiris in Syria or being active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Kurdistan region of Iraq,” it added.

In Shiite-dominated Iran, the term “takfiri” generally refers to jihadists or proponents of radical Sunni Islam.

The intelligence ministry said two security personnel were wounded during the arrest operations, and a number of bombs, firearms, suicide vests and communications devices were seized.

It said it had neutralized a plot to “carry out 30 simultaneous terrorist explosions in densely populated centers of Tehran to undermine security and incite riots and protests on the anniversary of last year’s riots.”

The months-long demonstrations saw hundreds of people killed, including dozens of security personnel, in what Tehran called “riots” fomented by foreign governments and “hostile media.”

On Thursday, a court sentenced to death a Tajik Daesh member convicted over a deadly gun attack on a Shiite Muslim shrine last month.

The attack on the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in Shiraz, capital of Fars province in the south, came less than a year after a mass shooting at the same site that was later claimed by the Daesh group.