DAILY NEWS
Thirty Still Missing, Several Dead From Boat Sinking Off Tripoli Coast
According to L’Orient Today, “Emotions ran high Monday in Tripoli during the funeral of those who died Saturday night after a boat sank off Qalamoun. While the official death toll recorded remains six, more than thirty people are still missing, and an intensive search continues by land, air and sea.” [L’Orient Today]
According to AP News, “Angry residents attacked a main army checkpoint in Tripoli earlier in the day, throwing stones at troops who responded by firing into the air. Some shops closed as angry men blocked several streets in Tripoli, Lebanon’s most impoverished city. There were no reports of injuries.” [AP News]
“On Sunday, the army said the boat sank just after leaving Qalamoun, south of Tripoli, due to it being over safe capacity. One of the survivors disputed this, saying the boat sank after being chased by the army. “The patrol boat hit our boat twice,” he told AFP at the Port of Tripoli, before families of survivors asked him to be quiet.” [L’Orient Today]
Rocket Fire From Israeli Military Responds To Launches From Southern Lebanon
According to a Tweet from the IDF, the Israeli Military fired retaliatory artillery shells on “open spaces in south Lebanon, near the launch area, and also at an infrastructure target” in response to a rocket launched from Southern Lebanon, striking a ‘harmless’ target across the border. [Reuters]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Jean AbiNader
AbiNader writes, “For many in Lebanon, the announcement of the staff-level agreement with the IMF on April 7, prompted rather short-lived sighs of relief. That may be because certain actions are still required before any money flows at this level of agreement, and because the many challenges to its implementation have become clearer only days after the announcement on April 7. Sisyphus had it easy, one could say, in comparison to the anticipated obstructions that the agreement faces including the May 15th elections, as there are limits to what can get accomplished in the few weeks and three holidays between now and the opening of the polls. In particular, the formation of a new Council of Ministers within five months, the election of a president by the new government, and an agreement on a parliamentary agenda must all take place before any reforms can seriously happen.”
The Push And Pull Over Capital Control, Government Rescue Plan Explained, Inflation Resumes: Your Weekly Financial News Roundup
Kabalan Farah
Farah writes, “Late evening on April 18, a leaked document purportedly containing the details of the government’s economic plan started circulating among a narrow circle of journalists. The Joint Committee meeting scheduled for April 20 never took place, even though quorum was achieved. MPs attending the meeting refused to continue discussions of the draft law before the government made clear its intentions. The government was accused of “stealing the depositors’ money,” to which Mikati was swift to counter that the plan ensures the protection of small depositors, and any accusations of the contrary are only made for election purposes. However, after his meeting with Ferzli, he dispatched the government plan to the parliament, seeking the MPs feedback and suggestions. Berri called the Joint Committee to meet on Tuesday to continue discussions of the draft law. Whether the meeting achieves quorum or not, remains to be seen.”
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.