Speaker of Parliament Calls for Special Session on Corruption in the Telecom Sector
According to L’Orient Today, “Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has called a parliamentary session next Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. to discuss allegations of corruption in Lebanon’s telecom sector, including lack of transparency, irregular awarding of lucrative contracts, and illegal hiring of officials.” [L’Orient Today]

Parliament Addresses Controversial Capital Controls Law
Following joint sessions of parliament, the capitol controls law proved to be a divisive issue among Lebanese parliamentarians, with Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab saying, “I will continue my main objective, which is carrying on with the discussions until the law is finalized by the joint committees,” and MP Michel Moawad responding, “They are trying to escape accountability and make the depositors bear the burden and pay the price . . . We are not against the law in principle but approving it before restructuring the banking system means writing off the depositors’ savings.” [Naharnet]

BDL Authorizes Banks to Purchase US Dollars without Limits Until End of the Year
According to Reuters, “Lebanon’s central bank on Tuesday extended a circular allowing banks to purchase an unlimited amount of U.S. dollars on its Sayrafa exchange platform until the end of the year, a central bank statement said.” [Reuters]

Several Containers Go Up in Flames at the Port of Beirut
According to Naharnet, “Two containers went up in flames on Wednesday at the blast-hit Port of Beirut. State-run National News Agency said the containers had car parts and furniture in them. The fire was eventually extinguished by the port’s Civil Defense platoon and the Beirut Fire Brigade.” [Naharnet]

AbiNader writes, “A food desert is commonly defined as a geographic area where residents have few to no convenient options for securing affordable and healthy foods . . . At this point, Lebanon has certainly become a beggar state. Remittances from overseas remain the most important lifeline for many, if they can navigate the opaqueness of the banking system and Central Bank rules. Without an executive government and a parliament unable to elect a new president, the country is languishing. While those with means survive, more than 75% of the population remain in poverty, unable to sustain a quality of life with adequate access to food, education, medicines, and social services. State institutions, the banking sector, and public services are all in disarray . . . Given its political structure, the very nature of assistance to Lebanon gets called into question when well-intentioned initiatives and programs – like the ESSN cash-assistance program that is actionable and immediate – prove susceptible to corruption. When Lebanon’s friends outside the country are seemingly more concerned about Lebanon’s future than its current leadership, a deeper dilemma emerges regarding how much change it will take for Lebanon to become a viable, sovereign, and self-sufficient state. We’re still waiting for that answer.”

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Kanaan writes, “The last time the two countries, geopolitical rivals for almost half a century, had a sports-related showdown of such strong significance was at the 1998 World Cup in France in what then-president of the US Soccer Federation, Hank Steinbrecher, called “the mother of all games.” The politically fraught confrontation —founder of the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had, after all, called the US “The Great Satan” — ended in what many American outlets still refer to as a “humiliating” 2-1 defeat, which was especially crushing as the US team was widely expected to win, considering they were ranked 11th in FIFA’s world rankings compared to Iran’s No. 42 placement . . . While fans all over the world will watch this game while holding their breath, especially in countries that have been heavily impacted by US imperialism or at least heavy meddling in internal affairs, there is probably no population in the world, other than those of the two competing countries, that is more invested in the outcome of this game than tiny Lebanon.”

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