DAILY NEWS
Prosecutor Issues Travel Ban Against Five Bank Chairmen
Yesterday, Lebanese prosecutor judge Ghada Aoun issued travel bans against five chairmen of Lebanese banks: Salim Sfeir of Bank of Beirut, Samir Hanna of Bank Audi, Antoun Sehnaoui of SGBL, Saad Azhari of Blom Bank, and Raya Hassan of Bankmed. Aoun said that the ban was issued a precautionary measure as she investigates transactions by their banks and has not charged them with a crime. [Reuters]
New Minister of Information Appointed
Ziad Mkari, affiliated with the Marada Movement, was appointed as the new Minister of Information, succeeding former minister George Kurdahi who resigned in December of 2021 amid the diplomatic crisis between Lebanon and Gulf countries that was fueled by resurfaced critical comments he made on the Saudi-Yemen war. Mkari is is a professor at the Lebanese University and the founder and CEO of design firm ARCA. [An-Nahar (Ar)]
France to Provide Lebanon With 50 Buses
In a meeting with French Transportation Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ali Hamieh, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that Lebanon, ““counts on benefitting from France’s expertise with the aim to promote this vital [transportation] sector, which eases the burdens of a large segment of Lebanese in various regions. We also count on French support in developing other vital facilities, especially the Port of Beirut.” Djebarri signed a memorandum that France will provide Lebanon with 50 buses, adding to the 45 state-owned vehicles, one third of which will operate within Beirut and two-thirds of which will operate between the North, South, and Bekaa regions. [L’Orient Today]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
L’Orient Today
Running In Lebanon’s Legislative Elections: A Headache For Opposition Figures
Hijazi writes, “The clock is ticking. Only a few days separate us from March 15, which is the deadline for those wishing to run in the May legislative elections to submit their applications. A total of 517 people have officially applied to compete in the elections, according to the Interior Ministry today. This number is relatively small for an election that so many in Lebanon perceive as an opportunity to revive political life. For the opposition camp, the decision to run in the elections has not been exactly easy. This is because there are multiple challenges facing the figures advocating change, with the ruling class having a few tricks up its sleeve.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.