Since October, Lebanon has been mired in a government-formation process that is going nowhere. While the country continues to suffer, President Michel Aoun and Prime minister-designate Saad Hariri remain divided over who is the final authority on naming ministers, essentially creating a constitutional crisis.
Several weeks ago Mr Hariri took a draft cabinet proposal to Mr Aoun for his approval. The president rejected the list brought to him. The presidency argued that the Prime minister-designate had failed to respect the “standards of fair representation in accordance with the provisions of the constitution".
It is odd to hear Mr Aoun talk about "fair representation" as he and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil have spent years eliminating all rival Christian representatives from successive governments. In fact, their wanting to do so once again is at the heart of the problem between the president and Mr Hariri.
Mr Aoun wants to appoint all Christian ministers, and has accused Mr Hariri of denying him what he conceded to the two Shiite parties, Hezbollah and Amal. The Prime minister-designate has indeed allowed the two parties to name all Shiite ministers, but insists that because he himself has a cross-sectarian parliamentary bloc, he is entitled to name a certain number of Christians.
Mr Hariri’s position notwithstanding, there are other issues that have also been raised in the government formation process that have reflected badly on the president. The first is that his approach has been driven by a desire to see Mr Bassil succeed him as president. The second is that by blocking a government, he is drifting into questionable constitutional territory.
Mr Aoun’s desire to name all Christian ministers – like his demand that he name ministers to major portfolios such as the interior, justice, and defence ministries – is apparently destined to have a tight hold over the government for when Mr Aoun’s term ends in 2022. Mr Bassil had initially demanded a so-called blocking third in the government. In that way he could bring the government down before Mr Aoun’s departure if all his ministers resign, and use the vacuum to blackmail other politicians into voting for him as president.
It is unclear whether Mr Aoun and Mr Bassil have given up on this condition. A statement last week from the presidential palace stated that the president had not demanded a blocking third. It is entirely unclear, however, if Mr Bassil agrees. Whatever the truth, by demanding ministries involved in domestic security and justice issues, Mr Aoun and Mr Bassil seek to open corruption files against their political rivals and leverage this into support for a Bassil presidency.
A second problem is that Mr Aoun appears to have overstepped his constitutional role in the government formation process. The constitution is vague, saying only that once a prime minister is designated by parliament, he “shall conduct the parliamentary consultations involved in forming a cabinet.” The decree establishing the cabinet though must be co-signed with the president.
Mr Aoun has interpreted his signatory role as veto power over any government of which he does not approve. Yet such power would effectively mean the president forms the government. The revised constitution of 1990 was notable for curtailing presidential power in the cabinet’s favour, so it would be odd for it to allow the president to establish the government, albeit indirectly.
The French have all but given up on the Lebanese political class
Mr Aoun’s approach, if normalised, implies eroding the powers of the Sunni prime minister. This has generated Sunni unanimity behind Mr Hariri. It is all too apparent that if Mr Hariri does not form a government, no Sunni will be willing to do so in his place. That is what makes Mr Aoun’s position so reckless, at a time when Lebanon is facing economic ruin on top of a serious Covid-19 crisis. Beyond Mr Bassil’s interests, he seems indifferent to the welfare of his people.
What is the way out of this impasse? For the moment there seems to be no solution, nor does it appear yet that Hezbollah, the main power broker in the country, wants to alienate Mr Aoun by pushing him to make concessions. However, it is uncertain how long the party can allow the situation to deteriorate, as the Hezbollah's Shiite base is suffering like everyone else in Lebanon.
If the deadlock reaches the point where Hezbollah’s domestic and regional interests are threatened, the party could try to impose a median solution. Yet the context has changed. Initially, when Mr Hariri agreed to head a government, he said he would create a “working cabinet” to implement reforms asked for by France and the international community, to unlock foreign funding to Lebanon. Today, the French have all but given up on the Lebanese political class.
When Lebanon’s economic crisis occurred a year ago, many Lebanese understood that the corrupt politicians in power would block any true reform in the country to protect their interests. They could not have imagined, however, that the situation would be even worse than that. Five months after the horrific explosion in Beirut port, the sordid politicians are still fiddling while Lebanon burns.
Michael Young is a Lebanon columnist for The National
The UAE's journey to space
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Company%20Profile
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Sri Lanka squad for tri-nation series
Angelo Mathews (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
INVESTMENT PLEDGES
Cartlow: $13.4m
Rabbitmart: $14m
Smileneo: $5.8m
Soum: $4m
imVentures: $100m
Plug and Play: $25m
