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Hezbollah allies suffer blow in early Lebanon election results

Druze politician Talal Arslan looks set to lose seat held for nearly 30 years

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Partial results announced by Lebanon's Interior Ministry from Sunday's parliamentary elections suggest allies of Hezbollah have lost seats, with the Christian Lebanese Forces and independent candidates expected to make up unprecedented ground.

The Lebanese Forces, long-time critics of Hezbollah and Iran’s influence in Lebanon, have gained 10 confirmed seats so far, mostly at the expense of their Christian rival, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).

Lebanese Forces spokesman Marc Saad told The National that he expects the party to win at least 20 seats. In 2018, the party secured 15 seats.

If confirmed, that would mean the Lebanese Forces will have overtaken the Hezbollah-allied FPM as the biggest Christian party in the 128-seat Lebanese Parliament.

An electoral worker sits next to ballot boxes, at the Justice Palace, in Jdeideh. Reuters
An electoral worker sits next to ballot boxes, at the Justice Palace, in Jdeideh. Reuters
A soldier stands guard as ballots are counted at the Justice Palace. Reuters
A soldier stands guard as ballots are counted at the Justice Palace. Reuters
Jad Ghosn, an opposition candidate, gestures as people wait for the announcement of official election results, in Jdeideh. Reuters
Jad Ghosn, an opposition candidate, gestures as people wait for the announcement of official election results, in Jdeideh. Reuters
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announces the final results for some districts. EPA
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announces the final results for some districts. EPA
Opposition candidate Yassin Yassin gestures as he is greeted by supporters in Jeb Jennin, West Bekaa. Reuters
Opposition candidate Yassin Yassin gestures as he is greeted by supporters in Jeb Jennin, West Bekaa. Reuters
Supporters of the Lebanese Forces take to the streets during parliamentary elections in the Ashrafieh district of Beirut. Bloomberg
Supporters of the Lebanese Forces take to the streets during parliamentary elections in the Ashrafieh district of Beirut. Bloomberg
Lebanon headed to the polls with its economy in the grip of hyperinflation. Bloomberg
Lebanon headed to the polls with its economy in the grip of hyperinflation. Bloomberg
Lebanese youths supporting Hezbollah and Amal movement wave their party flags after parliamentary elections in a suburb of Beirut. EPA
Lebanese youths supporting Hezbollah and Amal movement wave their party flags after parliamentary elections in a suburb of Beirut. EPA
Supporters of Lebanon's Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal lift their flags during a motorbike rally after voting. AFP
Supporters of Lebanon's Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal lift their flags during a motorbike rally after voting. AFP
Children swim in an inflatable pool that supporters of former prime minister Saad Hariri installed to illustrate their intention to boycott parliamentary elections in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo
Children swim in an inflatable pool that supporters of former prime minister Saad Hariri installed to illustrate their intention to boycott parliamentary elections in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo
Voters queue to place their vote in parliamentary elections in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
Voters queue to place their vote in parliamentary elections in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, stands in a polling booth to vote in Tebnin. Reuters
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, stands in a polling booth to vote in Tebnin. Reuters
Voters register at a polling station in Beirut. Bloomberg
Voters register at a polling station in Beirut. Bloomberg
Lebanese President Michel Aoun follows the parliamentary elections on screens from the Presidential Palace in Beirut. AP
Lebanese President Michel Aoun follows the parliamentary elections on screens from the Presidential Palace in Beirut. AP
A Lebanese woman shows her inked finger after she cast her vote at a polling station in Beirut. AP
A Lebanese woman shows her inked finger after she cast her vote at a polling station in Beirut. AP
Voters look at a list of candidates at a polling station in Beirut. Bloomberg
Voters look at a list of candidates at a polling station in Beirut. Bloomberg
Lebanese policemen help a voter into a polling station in Beirut. AP
Lebanese policemen help a voter into a polling station in Beirut. AP
A Lebanese voter casts her ballot paper in Beirut. EPA
A Lebanese voter casts her ballot paper in Beirut. EPA
Gyorgy Holvenyi (R), chief observer of the European Union election observation mission, visits a polling station in Beirut. EPA
Gyorgy Holvenyi (R), chief observer of the European Union election observation mission, visits a polling station in Beirut. EPA
Lebanese people wait to vote during parliamentary elections in the capital city. EPA
Lebanese people wait to vote during parliamentary elections in the capital city. EPA
Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of Lebanon, casts his ballot paper during parliamentary elections in Beirut. EPA
Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of Lebanon, casts his ballot paper during parliamentary elections in Beirut. EPA
People queue to cast their votes in the Lebanese capital. AP
People queue to cast their votes in the Lebanese capital. AP
Posters in Al Tariq Al Jadida, Beirut, depict Lebanon’s former prime minister Saad Hariri. Reuters
Posters in Al Tariq Al Jadida, Beirut, depict Lebanon’s former prime minister Saad Hariri. Reuters
A woman prepares her ballot at a polling station in a southern suburb of Beirut. AFP
A woman prepares her ballot at a polling station in a southern suburb of Beirut. AFP
Former prime minister Hassan Diab, who succeeded Saad Hariri, casts his ballot in Beirut. AFP
Former prime minister Hassan Diab, who succeeded Saad Hariri, casts his ballot in Beirut. AFP
A voter checks lists for the parliamentary election at a polling station in the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP
A voter checks lists for the parliamentary election at a polling station in the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP
A woman waits to vote in Beirut. EPA
A woman waits to vote in Beirut. EPA
Security forces stand guard at Nur Square on the southern entrance of the northern Lebanese port city Tripoli. AFP
Security forces stand guard at Nur Square on the southern entrance of the northern Lebanese port city Tripoli. AFP
Former Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora casts his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election, in Sidon, southern Lebanon. Reuters
Former Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora casts his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election, in Sidon, southern Lebanon. Reuters
A man check voters' lists in the capital Beirut. AP
A man check voters' lists in the capital Beirut. AP
A woman votes in Lebanon's parliamentary elections in Beirut. AP
A woman votes in Lebanon's parliamentary elections in Beirut. AP
Police check the ID of voters outside a polling station near the Lebanese coastal city of Byblos (Jbeil), north of Beirut. AFP
Police check the ID of voters outside a polling station near the Lebanese coastal city of Byblos (Jbeil), north of Beirut. AFP
A voter dips her finger in ink after casting her ballot in the parliamentary election at a polling station near Byblos. AFP
A voter dips her finger in ink after casting her ballot in the parliamentary election at a polling station near Byblos. AFP
A Lebanese woman shows her ink-marked thumb after voting in Shmustar, Bekaa valley. EPA
A Lebanese woman shows her ink-marked thumb after voting in Shmustar, Bekaa valley. EPA
People queueing to vote at Ras El Nabeh Public School for Girls. Fatima Al Mahmoud/ The National
People queueing to vote at Ras El Nabeh Public School for Girls. Fatima Al Mahmoud/ The National

The FPM has taken at least 16 seats, down from 18 in 2018, Sayed Younes, head of the party's electoral machine, told Reuters. Monday's partial results indicate that they have obtained at least seven seats.

While he has urged supporters to wait for final results, Gebran Bassil, head of the FPM, has already blamed Israel and the US for undermining his campaign and accused the Lebanese Forces of buying votes.

The FPM has been the biggest Christian party in Parliament since its founder and the father-in-law of Mr Bassil, President Michel Aoun, returned from exile in France in 2005.

Simon Abi Ramia, an FPM member of Parliament who was re-elected in Mount Lebanon, told The National that “maybe because we have the president of the republic and were the bigger bloc, people are putting the responsibility upon us because of the terrible economic situation and their suffering”.

Mr Abi Ramia was referring to Lebanon's economic meltdown that started in 2019.

The UN's special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights recently blasted Lebanon's ruling elite for causing the crisis and doing little to find solutions.

“Political leadership is completely out of touch with reality, including with the desperation they’ve created by destroying people’s lives,” rapporteur Olivier De Schutter said last week.

Election turnout was only 41 per cent — eight points lower than in 2018 — suggesting that the traditional sectarian parties that have shared power for decades failed to mobilise their supporters.

First opposition MP to be elected in south Lebanon

Elsewhere, eye surgeon Elias Jradeh, 55, is set to become the first opposition MP elected in south Lebanon, taking the Orthodox Christian seat in a region dominated by Hezbollah and its ally Amal.

Mr Jradeh was running against Asaad Hardan, a Hezbollah ally and head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party who has been in Parliament since 1992. His supporters celebrated at his home on Sunday evening, chanting slogans such as “revolution” and “Hasbaya, rise up”, in reference to Mr Jradeh's home region.

The chants echoed slogans used during months-long nationwide protests in 2019 triggered by the country's economic woes.

The campaign manager of Firas Hamdan, a Druze candidate on Mr Jradeh's opposition list, told The National that they also expected a win but were waiting for official results to be announced for their district.

Monday's results confirmed that several prominent Parliament members had lost their seats, including deputy speaker Elie Ferzli, who is backed by Hezbollah. He was first elected in 1992, when Lebanon held its first parliamentary election after the 1975-1990 civil war.

Druze opposition candidate Firas Hamdan greets members of the sect in a hall in the village of Kfeir in South Lebanon. All Photos: Oliver Marsden for The National
Druze opposition candidate Firas Hamdan greets members of the sect in a hall in the village of Kfeir in South Lebanon. All Photos: Oliver Marsden for The National
Mr Hamdan is running for the first time in parliamentary elections scheduled for next month.
Mr Hamdan is running for the first time in parliamentary elections scheduled for next month.
Hweida Al Halabi, who works in a medical laboratory, stands outside the hall in Kfeir after a meeting with Mr Hamdan.
Hweida Al Halabi, who works in a medical laboratory, stands outside the hall in Kfeir after a meeting with Mr Hamdan.
Ms Al Halabi is applauded as she poses a question to Mr Hamdan.
Ms Al Halabi is applauded as she poses a question to Mr Hamdan.
Mr Hamdan answers questions from the audience.
Mr Hamdan answers questions from the audience.
This is the first year that such a meeting has taken place in the area before an election.
This is the first year that such a meeting has taken place in the area before an election.
Men of the Druze sect gather at the hall in the village of Kfeir.
Men of the Druze sect gather at the hall in the village of Kfeir.
Retired teacher and member of the Druze Progressive Socialist Party Faysal Naoufal explains why he will be voting for the opposition in this year’s elections.
Retired teacher and member of the Druze Progressive Socialist Party Faysal Naoufal explains why he will be voting for the opposition in this year’s elections.

Talal Arslan, a Hezbollah-backed Druze politician who heads the Lebanese Democratic Party, also lost the seat he has held for 30 years to one of the new opposition candidates, a Hezbollah official and the newcomer's campaign manager told Reuters, citing preliminary results.

Media reports indicate that Mr Arslan was defeated by University professor Marc Daou, member of newly founded nonsectarian political party Takaddom.

Despite the setback, Hezbollah and Amal could well retain all 27 Shiite Parliament seats.

Sunday's parliamentary election was under intense scrutiny both in Lebanon and abroad. It came after the 2019 protests against Lebanon’s ruling classes, the economic collapse of the same year and the August 2020 Beirut port blast that killed more than 200 people.

Saad Hariri boycotts vote

Missing from this year's elections was two-time prime minister Saad Hariri and his Future Movement, long seen as a bastion of the Sunni community in Lebanon.

Mr Hariri’s withdrawal of himself and his party from the election led to some supporters abstaining and holding a pool party to publicise their abstention. A video of people playing in the pool went viral on Twitter.

Mr Hariri tweeted on Monday that his decision to boycott Sunday’s parliamentary election was “correct”. The withdrawal, however, left a void in the Sunni-dominated Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city.

The former prime minister withdrew from politics in late January, blaming political compromise for his failures, including accepting the election of Mr Aoun, who is allied with Hezbollah.

Preliminary results for the North ll region show that the two front-runners were lists led by Dignity Movement leader Faisal Karami — although it appeared Mr Karami himself could miss out on a seat — and former Hariri rival and ex-Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi.

“I’m feeling a lot of responsibility on a national level and I’m hoping I’m at the same level of this responsibility,” Mr Rifi told The National, as he appeared to be closing in on victory on Sunday night.

“The first priority is to relieve Lebanon from the domination of Iran and Hezbollah. The second is to provide the youth in Tripoli with jobs and better opportunities.”

But the former security chief was forced to take to the streets to calm some of his supporters as they fired automatic weapons into the air in celebration.

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

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57%20Seconds
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UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Company%C2%A0profile
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Updated: May 16, 2022, 6:14 PM
LebanonLebanese elections 2022