Blast rocks Benafoul, Mikati plans Saudi visit, Nasrallah speech: Everything you need to know to start your Tuesday

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An overnight explosion rocked the town of Benafoul, just east of the southern city of Saida. According to our correspondent in the South, the blast occurred at a Civil Defense center of an Amal movement scout troop, next to the municipality building of Benafoul, which was also damaged. As of this morning, the blast has killed one person and wounded several others, who were taken to nearby hospitals. A Lebanese Army spokesperson told L’Orient Today that the cause of the blast is not yet known and is still under investigation. A source, one of the wounded, told our correspondent that the explosion was a result of the combustion of a number of oxygen tanks, which could have been caused by faulty electrical wiring. Residents of the town continued to speculate about the cause, with some saying it could have been a deliberate attack.

The series of conciliatory gestures back and forth between Lebanese and Gulf officials will continue with a visit by Prime Minister Najib Mikati to Saudi Arabia within the month. Mikati announced yesterday he will visit the kingdom during the holy month of Ramadan, in a sign of improving relations with the Gulf. A French proposal for Mikati to visit the kingdom was shot down by the Saudis last year, at the height of the Lebanese-Gulf diplomatic crisis. Bukhari gathered several political leaders and ambassadors at an iftar last night. His guest list included: Prime Minister Mikati, former presidents Amine Gemayel and Michel Sleiman, former PMs Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam, Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, representing Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and MP Bahia Hariri. Earlier on Monday, Bukhari met with Sunni Grand Mufti Abdel-Latif Derian and Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Ali al-Khatib. Bukhari also met with Druze religious leader Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Mouna and Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah emphasized on Monday that his party wants elections to go ahead as scheduled, while suggesting that some parties and “foreign embassies” are interested in postponing them over fears that Hezbollah will do well. Nasrallah said his party and its allies are not trying to win a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which would allow changes to be made to the constitution, but does seek a simple majority of the chamber. The party leader also criticized some rival parties, saying they do not have electoral programs that tackle the economic crisis and are only fixated on disarming Hezbollah.

Contract lecturers at the Lebanese University began a sit-in in front of the Grand Serail yesterday to demand full-time employment from the university. According to one of the protesters, the sit-in will continue around the clock until their demands for normal employment and benefits are met. Contract lecturers at the Lebanese university have protested repeatedly since October to call for full-time employment contracts, under which they would receive an array of benefits, including access to a pension scheme, insurance, end of service salaries and better payment.

A European Union election observation mission ended a six-day visit yesterday, saying that they heard no indication from stakeholders that the elections will be postponed. Chief observer Gyorgy Holvenyi said Lebanese officials assured him there will be sufficient funding to properly run and monitor the polls. A core team of 10 election experts who arrived in March will remain in Lebanon through the May 15 election day and will be joined by another 30 observers this week, and even more observers as the election date approaches. Meanwhile, Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov presented a letter to Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi on Monday expressing his country’s desire to also monitor the upcoming elections. Mawlawi also heard from a representative of the Arab League on Monday, which also expressed the league’s willingness to participate in monitoring the polls.

In case you missed it, here’s our must-read article from yesterday: “Chouf-Aley: Classic battles and a shattered thawra”