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Protests Erupt in Lebanon, Following Reports of Poverty-Related Suicide Cases, Al-Khatib Withdraws Candidacy for Premiership

December 4, 2019

 

Lebanese women protesters on December 7, 2019	Lebanese protesters, December 2019

 

Lebanon: Al-Khatib Withdraws Candidacy for Premiership

 Al-Manar English Website, December 8, 2019

The candidate for the Lebanese premiership Samir Al-Khatib announced, after a meeting with the caretaker prime minister Saad Hariri, withdrawing his nomination for the PM post.

Al-Khatib had met with the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian who expressed support to Hariri to form the new government.

On October 17, dozens of thousands of protesters took to streets in rejection of the government’s tax policy; however, the demonstrations were utilized by certain forces for political aims.

Hariri submitted his government’s resignation to President Michel Aoun on October 29, leaving a political stalemate as parties started mulling a very complicated cabinet creation.

Protests erupt following reports of poverty-related suicide cases

December 6, 2019 by yalibnan

Beirut: A 56-year-old unemployed Lebanese man reportedly committed suicide on Thursday in his house in southern Lebanon due to his dire financial condition.

Nazih Aoun

The former construction labourer, Nazih Aoun, allegedly committed suicide, according to local media reports, in his home village of Tibnin, part of Nabatiyeh governorate.

Gulf News contacted Tibnin Municipality and spoke to an official named Hussain, who said: “Nazih Ali Aoun [the deceased] was found dead in his house. We cannot confirm it as a suicide yet. We informed Internal Security Forces [Lebanese police] who inspected the scene and called a forensic examiner to check the body and clarify the cause of death. It could be a normal death, suicide, heart attack or maybe murder … investigations are pending.

“Born on July 8, 1964, Aoun has four children who live in Germany. He has been poor and unemployed for over a year now. Last year he was selling vegetables on a small booth and previous to that he was a construction labourer.”

The village of Tibnin is the hometown of Lebanese Speaker of the House and Head of Amal Movement Nabih Berri.

Aoun’s purported suicide is the third such incident in five days. On Wednesday, a man named Dany Abu Haidar shot himself with a hunting rifle over a 3 million Lebanese pound (about $2000 )debt in Al Nabaa area. On Sunday, destitute Naji Al Fulaiti hanged himself over a 700,000 Lebanese pound (about $430 ) debt and his inability to give his daughter 1,000 Lebanese pounds to buy flatbread in Arsal.

Naji Al Fulaiti

The medical examiner has now confirmed that a poisonous element led to the man’s death.

Lebanese protesters launched a big demonstration on Wednesday in the capital Beirut after news reports about people committing suicide in Lebanon due to their poor living conditions, local TV channel LDC reported.

Protesters chanted slogans against the current political ruling class while asking politicians to leave in a bid to give an opportunity for skilled people to come to power and implement reforms to save the deteriorating economy.

Lebanese protesters launched a big demonstration on Wednesday in the capital Beirut after news reports about people committing suicide in Lebanon due to their poor living conditions

Lebanon has been witnessing nationwide protests since Oct. 17 against the current political ruling class.

According to a January 2019 report by Xinhua around 200 people committed suicide in Lebanon in 2018 compared to 143 in 2017.

Xinhua based its findings on a report by Elnashra, an online independent Arabic language newspaper

“Around 1,500 attempted to commit suicide in 2018, equivalent to 4 suicide attempts per day,” Elnashra said.

https://yalibnan.com/2019/12/06/protests-erupt-following-reports-of-poverty-related-suicide-cases/

Lebanese Women March in Beirut against Sexual Harassment

by Naharnet, Associated Press, 8 December 2019

Scores of women marched through the streets of Beirut on Saturday to protest sexual harassment and bullying and demanding rights including the passing of citizenship to children of Lebanese women married to foreigners.

The march started outside the American University of Beirut, west of the capital, and ended in a downtown square that has been witnessing daily protests for more than seven weeks.

Nationwide demonstrations in Lebanon broke out Oct. 17 against proposed taxes on WhatsApp calls turned into a condemnation of the country's political elite, who have run the country since the 1975-90 civil war. The government resigned in late October, meeting a key demand of the protesters.

"We want to send a message against sexual harassment. They say that the revolution is a woman, therefore, if there is a revolution, women must be part of it," said protester Berna Dao. "Women are being raped, their right is being usurped, and they are not able to pass their citizenship."

Activists have been campaigning for years so that parliament drafts a law that allows Lebanese women married to foreigners pass their citizenship to their husbands and children.

Earlier this year, Raya al-Hassan became the first woman in the Arab world to take the post of interior minister. The outgoing Cabinet has four women ministers, the highest in the country in decades.

Lebanese PM asks friendly nations for credit amid crisis

Lebanon is experiencing its worst economic and financial crisis amid zero economic growth and massive debt.

Annahar, Associated Press, 6 December 2019

Lebanon’s outgoing prime minister called on several Arab and world leaders Friday to help his country secure credit lines for imports from friendly nations as the tiny Mediterranean country passes through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.

According to a statement released by his office, Saad Hariri sent letters to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, China, Russia, Italy and the United States as part of his efforts to ease the liquidity crisis and secure food stuff and raw materials.

Lebanon is experiencing its worst economic and financial crisis amid zero economic growth and massive debt. Local banks have imposed unprecedented capital controls and thousands of employees have been either laid off or had their salaries slashed.

The crisis has worsened since Oct. 17, when nationwide protests against years of corruption and mismanagement erupted, leading to the resignation of Hariri’s government two weeks later. Protesters now want that entire political elite, that has ruled the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, out.

President Michel Aoun said the financial measures taken in the country are “temporary because of the current financial conditions.”

Aoun, who spoke during a meeting with international investment bankers, said that dealing with the economic and financial crisis will be the priority of the new government once it’s formed. He added that offshore exploration for oil and gas will begin in January and would boost the country’s credentials.

Aoun has called for binding consultations with heads of parliamentary blocs to name a new prime minister on Monday. He added that the formation of a new Cabinet would help friendly countries release $11 billion in loans and grants made by international donors at the CEDRE conference in Paris last year.

Lebanon imports most of its basic needs, including wheat, petrol and medicine, leading to a huge trade deficit. Importers have been facing difficulties in getting U.S. dollars to cover imports as the local currency, which has been pegged to the dollar since 1997, lost 40% of its value on the black market.

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