DAILY NEWS

Breaking: Protesters Take to Streets, Demonstrations Face BDL in Hamra
[MTV]

President Aoun to Announce Stance on National Dialogue Thursday, Talks Continue
President Michel Aoun finalized his talks with the heads of political blocs and will issue his public stance on the national dialogue Thursday. According to Naharnet, “Aoun had earlier in the day met with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil and delegations from the Consultative Gathering, the Social National bloc and the Armenian bloc.”  [Naharnet]

French Foreign Minister: UAE to Join French-Saudi Fund for Lebanon
Yesterday, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced in a parliamentary meeting that, “The visit by President (Emmanuel) Macron enabled the Gulf (Arab countries) to renew ties, which saw (the creation of) a joint Franco-Saudi fund to support the Lebanese, which will be helped tomorrow or the day after with a contribution from the United Arab Emirates.” [Reuters]

PM Mikati Denies Meddling in Judiciary Over Central Bank Probe
Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied reports that he had put pressure on a judge seeking data from banks as part of a larger probe investigating the central bank governor, Riad Salameh. According to Mikati, “It is also necessary to clarify what came out yesterday (Tuesday) about matters related to the judiciary. In this context, I say it is not true that we interfered in the work of the judiciary or in any decision taken by the judiciary.” [Reuters]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Will Archeology Become Another Fatality Of Lebanon’s Dysfunction?
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, ”Yes, Lebanon’s heritage is not limited to just Baalbek, Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre. Its heritage of historical riches is grounded in so much more and yet our knowledge of it has only gotten us a few layers deep. Without concerted efforts by the national and municipal governments, this trend of depriving Lebanon of its many roots will continue.”
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L’Orient Today
Oct. 17 Groups Debate the Merits of Participating in May’s Parliamentary Elections
Richard Salame

Salame writes, ‘”While there is little expectation that opposition groups will be able to win a majority in the upcoming elections, some factions believe that they could collectively win between ten and 20 seats, giving them enough parliamentary representation to break up the unified front of the ruling class. By showing themselves to be serious and effective deputies, they can show the public what the opposition has to offer and what an alternative political life looks like. Over successive electoral cycles, they might eventually attain a majority of the 128 seats in the chamber.”
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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.