Free Patriotic Movement Supporters at a rally in Akkar featuring FPM leader Gebran Bassil (Credit: Michel Hallak/OLJ)
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It was a big weekend for Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil on the campaign trail, with multiple people suffering injuries in a scuffle in Akkar between Bassil’s entourage and opponents of the politician’s visit to the region. The FPM is reportedly considering a boycott of the elections in response to what they see as an unacceptable security situation — though this could prove to be an empty threat. The MP also filed a complaint against two rival parties to the Supervisory Commission for Elections on Sunday, accusing the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb of exceeding the already quite generous campaign spending limits. Bassil did not present direct evidence of illegal spending but argued that the billboards purchased by the two parties alone would run up the bill above the legal limit. He asked for the matter to be referred to the Public Prosecution. The move led to a sharp response from the LF accusing Bassil of corruption as energy and water minister.
On Sunday, the Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of two men on charges of attempted human smuggling of migrants trying to escape Lebanon. According to the police, the two men confessed they had planned to smuggle migrants to Cyprus on April 29, the date of their arrest. Twenty-three Syrians were reportedly found at the house of one of the defendants, each of them having reportedly paid $3,000 for transit to the eastern Mediterranean island. It was not clear whether their money would be returned to them. The arrests come on the heels of five arrests of alleged smugglers made last Friday, when the army prevented a boat carrying 85 people from leaving from the Port of Tripoli. State security forces have devoted increased attention to the issue of irregular emigration via boat ever since at least six people died and approximately 30 went missing in a boat sinking off the coast of Qalamoun last weekend. The cause of the sinking remains unconfirmed, with some eyewitnesses blaming the Army, which denies responsibility. But it is unclear how long the state’s focus on the issue will remain. On Friday, Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram said that Lebanon could not bear the expense of policing outgoing illegal migration on behalf of destination countries.
Lebanese agricultural producers will once again be able to export certain products to Iraq, Industry Minister George Bouchikian announced yesterday. The decision by the Iraqi government to allow the agricultural products — including beer, soft drinks, juice, energy drinks, mineral water, pasteurized dairy products, packets of corn and potato fries, ice cream, table salt, noodles, pasta… table eggs and live and whole slaughtered chicken — will be a welcome boon to Lebanon’s agricultural sector, which has suffered from the country’s economic crisis, liquidity crisis and the geopolitical standoff between the Lebanese government and the Gulf Arab regimes, which has resulted in bans on Lebanese products from entering the crucial markets.
Friday will see the first round of voting in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections. Members of the diaspora registered to vote in Iran and Arab countries where Friday is a weekend will cast their ballots. The rest of the diaspora, including the diaspora in the United Arab Emirates, where Sunday is a weekend, will vote on Sunday. There are 225,000 Lebanese registered to vote overseas who will have their chance to cast their ballots this weekend. They will be followed by election workers on May 12 and, finally, the main body of the resident electorate on May 15.
In case you missed it, here is our must-read article from over the weekend: The Multi-Billion Dollar Question: Tracing Lebanon’s growing offshore wealth amid financial collapse