Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday that he would shoulder his responsibility in designating a prime minister to form a new government that must enact reforms to help the country out of the financial crisis.
In a televised speech, Mr Aoun blamed other officials for blocking reforms, including a forensic audit of the central bank and an overhaul of the power sector, but stopped short of naming anyone. He pledged to confront anyone who seeks to block reform though his party, the Free Patriotic Movement, which has faced similar accusations of obstructionism from other political factions.
“Where are all the reforms? Where are all the clauses that were presented to the heads of [parliamentary] blocs and parties [though] nothing was implemented?" he said.
"The silence of any official, and lack of co-operation in the forensic audit [of the central bank], proves he is a partner in corruption and waste," he added.
Foreign donors have made it clear there will be no aid unless the heavily indebted state launches steps to tackle entrenched waste and graft.
Mr Aoun said that he understood the “pain and resentment” of the Lebanese but blamed his predecessors for the country’s year-long economic crisis that has pushed over half the population into poverty.
“The truth is that I must remind you that some of those who ruled Lebanon for decades (…) raised resounding slogans that remained without any content and were like promises meant to anesthetise the Lebanese people” he said, seemingly referring to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s political party, the Future Movement.
Mr Hariri and his later father Rafic served as Prime Minister for nearly 14 years in total from the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
Mr Hariri resigned on October 29, 2019, after nearly two weeks of unprecedented nation-wide protests caused by the country's economic crisis.
Mr Hariri is the only candidate for the premiership and is expected to be chosen by parliamentary blocs during binding consultations on Thursday.
Local media reported that Mr Aoun had initially delayed the consultations last week because of the refusal of Lebanon's main Christian parties, including the FPM, to endorse Mr Hariri. According to Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing agreement, the President is Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister Sunni Muslim and the Parliament Speaker Shiite Muslim.
Lebanon has been without a government since August 11, when Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of a massive explosion at Beirut port that killed 202 people.
Nominated on August 31, Prime Minister designate Mustafa Adib stepped down nearly one month ago because of political infighting.
In his speech, Mr Aoun attacked “officials and politicians” who “secured their personal interest” and rooted corruption in Lebanon’s “authorities, institutions and administrations”.
Mr Aoun's six-year mandate will end in 2022. The FPM leads the largest parliamentary bloc, and with six ministers, it also holds the biggest share in the caretaker cabinet that was formed late January. Billed as an "independent" government of technocrats, the cabinet, which had the backing of traditional parties, failed to garner international support to address the country's deepening economic crisis.
Mr Aoun asked Lebanese MPs to choose a new Prime Minister with a “national conscience and sense of responsibility” towards their country. Addressing lawmakers, Mr Aoun said: “my hope is that you will think carefully (…) because the current deteriorating situation cannot continue anymore.”
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
