Lebanon’s parliament failed to elect a president on Thursday when it convened for a fifth electoral session to elect a new head of state. It was the first session since the end of previous president Michel Aoun's term.
The failure of the session dashed hopes that the end of Mr Aoun's presidency would urge the assembly to elect a new president and end a power vacuum that threatens to paralyse state operations.
In the absence of a president, the constitution stipulates that the powers attributed to the head of state pass to the government, headed by the prime minister.
However, the current government has been operating in a stripped-down caretaker capacity since the May 15 parliamentary elections. Without a president or a fully empowered government, Lebanon will face a governance vacuum at a time when urgent structural reforms need passing to unlock a significant aid package from the International Monetary Fund.
The fifth session was not unlike previous attempts to elect a president, with blank ballots outnumbering votes for independent MP Michel Moawad, this time 47 to 44.
Mr Moawad is the favoured candidate of the parliamentary bloc of Lebanese Forces (LF) – a Christian group and the largest party in parliament, which pits itself as the opposition to the pro-Hezbollah bloc. The Free Patriotic Movement's bloc, the second-most prominent Christian party in parliament, again voted blank in the absence of an alternate candidate.
Six votes went to Issam Khalifa, an MP supported by some opposition MPs, seven protest votes for "a new Lebanon", and four votes for other candidates. Only 108 MPs from the 128-member parliament attended the electoral session.
By convention, Lebanon’s confessional system gives the presidency to a Maronite Christian, while the parliamentary speaker must be a Shiite Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim.
This makes the will of the two biggest Christian parties – the Hezbollah-opposing Lebanese Forces and the Hezbollah allied Free Patriotic Movement – vitally important in choosing a viable candidate for the presidency and in rallying support.
Two thirds of the vote in the 128-seat parliament is needed for a presidential candidate to secure a win in the first round of voting. An absolute majority is required in subsequent rounds.
After the vote count, parliament speaker Nabih Berri did not call for a second round of voting before leaving the assembly. Previous sessions have quickly lost quorum after the first round.
Some MPs criticised Mr Berri’s refusal to continue the session, with some calling for an open session to continue until a president is elected.
Nadim Gemayel, a member of the Christian Kataeb party, during the session queried the point of holding the fifth session.
"The people watching us are asking if this is a masquerade or a folklore or an act we're putting on. The Lebanese people should not have to pay the price for this," he said, referring to parliament's continued failure to elect a president.
A sixth electoral session has been called for Thursday, November 17.
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
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Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
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Dubai World Cup prize money
Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
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Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
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Real Madrid 2
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- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
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Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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