Saudi National and Political Figure Murdered in Beirut According to a Lebanese security source, a Saudi national and political dissident, Manea al-Yami, was stabbed to death in the Southern suburbs of Beirut. According to Reuters, “Yami, a member of the Saudi Shi’ite Ismaili Muslim minority, had been living in Lebanon since 2015, said senior [Saudi opposition National Assembly Party (NAAS)] member Yahya Assiri. He had been trying to secure safe passage to a third country.” [Reuters]
Massive Fire Near Roumieh The Lebanese Army dispatched several water-dropping helicopters in tandem with the firefighting efforts of the Lebanese Civil Defense, as a large fire erupted in the forests of Roumieh, the village north-east of Beirut. According to the local chief of police, the fire was thought to be premeditated. [Naharnet]
EU Observers Discuss Post-Elections Recommendations with Leaders According to L’Orient Today, “The European Union Election Observation Mission met on Friday with Lebanese authorities and representatives from political parties and civil society to discuss the 23 recommendations included in its report on the 2022 parliamentary elections, released Monday.” [L’Orient Today]
Lebanon’s Baalbek Music Festival Returns Lebanon’s famous international music festival held in the Roman ruins of Baalbek returned for the first time since the country’s economic crisis under the theme, ‘Baalbek Nights Return.’ [Reuters]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
British Embassy Beirut Ambassador Collard: Farewell Lebanon British Ambassador to Lebanon, Dr. Ian Collard
Ambassador Collard writes, “In my meetings with politicians and bankers, most seem not to want to accept that Lebanon must do everything that is asked in order to receive an international rescue package. There can be no Lebanon exceptionalism any more. Lebanon must adopt the necessary laws, open the books without preconditions, and reset the banking sector. The alternative is more and more of you forced into increasingly desperate measures to survive. Reform, done now, is the key to resolving Lebanon’s economic woes. Now is not the time for politicking. Never has it been more critical for your leaders to take the necessary decisions, however challenging that may be. They owe it to you to deliver better governance, transparency and accountability. They must show compassion and a commitment to bettering the lives of their fellow country people. Public interest must outweigh personal interest.”
BBC Arabs Believe Economy Is Weak Under Democracy Jessie Williams, Sarah Habershon & Becky Dale
Williams, Habershon, and Dale write, “Arabs are losing faith in democracy to deliver economic stability across the Middle East and North Africa, according to a major new survey. Nearly 23,000 people were interviewed across nine countries and the Palestinian territories for BBC News Arabic by the Arab Barometer network. Most agreed with the statement that an economy is weak under a democracy. The findings come just over a decade after the so-called Arab Spring protests called for democratic change. Less than two years after the protests, just one of those countries – Tunisia – remained a democracy, but a draft constitution published last week could push the country back towards authoritarianism, if approved. Michael Robbins, director of Arab Barometer, a research network based at Princeton University which worked with universities and polling organisations in the Middle East and North Africa to conduct the survey between late 2021 and Spring 2022, says there has been a regional shift in views on democracy since the last survey in 2018/19.”
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.
