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Morning Brief

Parliament meeting cut short, more port probe lawsuits, electricity deal: Everything you need to know today

Here’s what happened yesterday and what to expect today, Friday, Oct. 29 and over the weekend

Parliament meeting cut short, more port probe lawsuits, electricity deal: Everything you need to know today

Jordan’s Minister of Energy Saleh Ali Hamed al-Kharabsheh and his Lebanese counterpart Walid Fayad are pictured after meeting in the Jordanian capital Amman on Thursday. (Credit: Khalil Mazraazi/AFP)

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Parliament failed to consider dozens of proposals yesterday when its session was cut short after a number of MPs walked out following a vote on the electoral law. During the Thursday session Parliament voted for a second time for elections to be held on March 27 instead of May 8 and for Lebanese expats to vote for all 128 seats instead of six specially designated seats. A dispute immediately erupted as to whether the number of votes in favor, 61, met the criteria of an absolute majority in the chamber. Eleven parliamentary seats are currently empty following eight resignations and three deaths since the last elections. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri announced those seats would not count towards the number needed for majority. Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Gibran Bassil walked out of the session in anger with fellow members from his party. Before ending the session without voting on other agenda items, including amendments to an agreement with the World Bank paving the way for long-delayed social assistance programs, MPs decided to send two, also long-delayed, capital control laws back to committee.

Former ministers Nohad Machnouk and Ghazi Zeaitar followed former Premier Hassan Diab’s lead yesterday and sued the Lebanese state over the investigation into the Beirut port explosion. Diab filed his suit against the state on Wednesday. The lawsuits represent the third attempt by Machnouk and the fourth attempt by Zeaitar to block or at least delay efforts to interrogate them about their alleged connections to the port explosion. Under the law, Bitar must suspend his investigations into the three men while the courts consider their lawsuits, but other aspects of his investigation may go forward. Bitar has faced stiff opposition from the political class throughout the process of the investigation. Meanwhile, the military court investigation into the deadly Oct. 14 Tayyouneh clashes was also suspended due to a lawsuit filed by detainees in the case seeking to remove Judge Fadi Akiki from the probe.

Lebanon, Syria and Jordan have agreed on the terms of an agreement for Jordan to supply Lebanon with electricity via grid interconnections from Jordan to Syria and Syria to Lebanon. Jordan will supply Lebanon with 150 megawatts from midnight to six a.m. and 250 megawatts during the remaining periods, Jordan’s energy minister said in a press conference. Lebanon’s energy minister, Walid Fayad, said the World Bank has agreed to fund the project. Electricity is not expected to begin flowing until early 2022, as the Syrian grid requires repairs after a decade of conflict in that country. The Syrian energy minister told reporters repairs have begun and will be completed by the end of 2021.

The US Government sanctioned two businessmen and MP Jamil al-Sayyed (Ind./Baalbeck-Hermel) for allegedly “contribut[ing] to the breakdown of good governance and the rule of law in Lebanon.” In a statement, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control accused businessmen Jihad al-Arab and Dany Khoury of using political connections to secure lucrative government contracts, the terms of which were not meaningfully fulfilled, according to the US. It accused al-Sayyed of transferring “over $120 million” overseas. In the statement, the OFAC director said, “Treasury will not hesitate to use its tools to address impunity in Lebanon.” Al-Sayyed will hold a press conference today at noon to respond to the sanctions designation. This brings the total number of Lebanese citizens and/or residents under US sanctions to 80. One hundred and twenty-one Lebanese companies and organizations are also under US sanctions.

Daylight saving time ends overnight Saturday into Sunday. Lebanon’s clocks will fall back one hour at midnight, returning to 11pm. This means sunrise and sunset on Sunday will be about one hour earlier than on Saturday.

Want to get the Morning Brief by email? Click here to sign up.Parliament failed to consider dozens of proposals yesterday when its session was cut short after a number of MPs walked out following a vote on the electoral law. During the Thursday session Parliament voted for a second time for elections to be held on March 27 instead of May 8 and for Lebanese expats to vote for all 128 seats instead...