Lebanese supporters of Sunni Muslim politician Saad al Hariri, leader of the anti-Syrian alliance, celebrate in Tripoli June 8, 2009.
Lebanese supporters of Sunni Muslim politician Saad al Hariri, leader of the anti-Syrian alliance, celebrate in Tripoli June 8, 2009.

March 14 coalition wins in Lebanon



BEIRUT // A strong showing by the pro-western coalition known as March 14 over its Hizbollah-led rivals on Sunday has set the stage for a new political negotiation to form a cabinet that can actually govern a deeply divided Lebanon. But with positions already being staked out by both sides, there is little optimism on the streets of Beirut that violence can be avoided.

On Sunday, March 14 candidates secured about 68 seats in the 128-member parliament, while the Shiite parties led by Hizbollah and their Christian allies won 57. Three independents also won. The majority coalition of Sunni, Druze and some Christian parties were expected to face a much tougher challenge from the opposition led by Hizbollah and its Shiite and Christian allies, but an influx of expatriate voters appeared to have skewed polling and predictions.

Although the March 14 victory should reward Lebanon with continued US aid for the military, decent relations with European Union donors and even reduce tensions with Israel, it poses a set of problems that bear a strong resemblance to the internal struggles that paralysed Lebanon after the 2006 war, when Hizbollah and its allies withdrew from the government and demanded a unity government based on a veto-power for the minority.

"Lebanon has entered a new phase today," said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre. "The question is, once the government is formed what kind of challenge will it face?" Saad Hariri, the leader of the Sunni bloc and the most likely choice for prime minister, has already announced he will not offer the opposition enough seats in the new cabinet to veto government decisions, a key demand by Hizbollah and its allies.

An ally of Mr Hariri immediately called for a unity government, but brushed off the opposition's key demand of reserving a third of the cabinet seats, even as he warned his supporters not to provoke violence from disappointed opposition members. "We voted and we still have faith in the project of the state and aspire for its success. But we must not isolate the others. Beware of the deadly mistake of isolation," warned Walid Joumblatt, the Druze leader.

"The last time we made a mistake by accepting veto power for the president. The president cannot fulfill his role if he does not have the power to sack a minister by a unilateral decision." But preventing unilateral decisions by the government is exactly what Hizbollah wants to protect its special status as an armed resistance group free of government command. Already there are deep concerns on Beirut's streets that the result could lead to sectarian bloodshed similar to the invasion of Sunni areas in May 2008 by Hizbollah-aligned gunmen intent on breaking a political deadlock by force.

A Hizbollah member of parliament established the preliminary demand that the new government accept Hizbollah as an armed entity and Israel as an enemy of Lebanon. "The majority must commit not to question our role as a resistance party, the legitimacy of our weapons arsenal and the fact that Israel is an enemy state," Mohammed Raad told Agence France-Presse. He warned that the outcome of Sunday's vote signalled further political turbulence. "The results indicate that the crisis will continue, unless the majority changes its attitude."

More explicitly, some Hizbollah supporters and allies said they were preparing for bloodshed over the election results. "We will witness trouble on the streets," vowed a Shiite militant aligned with Hizbollah. "I will tell you, another May 7th will be coming very soon," he continued. "We lost the elections. As a loser, how can you go and negotiate with the winners? We have to go to the streets to prove ourselves again, so they cannot rule without us."

Unfortunately for Lebanon, these tactics worked quite well in May 2008, which saw the clashes resolved only by a pan-Arab initiative to end the deadlock. But there were strong indications that the attack on Beirut in May, which stemmed from a government attempt to disconnect Hizbollah's private fibre-optic communications network, might have cost Hizbollah's Christian allies dearly. Key Christian districts that were expected to be competitive for Michel Aoun's candidates turned overwhelmingly for March 14, in part, according to voters, out of anger over Hizbollah's assault on Beirut last May.

Opposition figures in the Christian community also criticised the Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's description of those events in a speech just weeks before the election as a "glorious day for the resistance" as unhelpful for their campaign efforts. These figures also accused March 14 of conducting a sectarian campaign that exploited Christian fears of a Hizbollah takeover. One March 14 supporter voiced the common perception that Mr Aoun had betrayed his own people by his alliance with Hizbollah.

"I never thought the Iranian monkey Aoun would win in these elections," said Dani, 27, a Christian from East Beirut. One supporter of Mr Aoun thought that the March 8 coalition was less beholden to outside forces. "I voted [for Mr Aoun] yesterday, but we lost because we refused to take money from Iran and we did not buy people's votes," said Tony Eid, 42, a lawyer from Beirut. "We were telling the Christians in Lebanon that it's about time for us to be strong and not depend on foreign support, but they preferred to be bought with American and Saudi money."

Mr Eid's complaints about foreign interference repeated a key issue for both sides in the election, with March 14 receiving blatant financial support from Saudi Arabia, and with Iran funding its longtime ally, Hizbollah. Any struggle over the make-up of a unity government, should Mr Hariri's bloc offer such a compromise, will have to include the support of the United States and Saudi Arabia on one side and Syria and Iran on the other.

mprothero@thenational.aen

Company Profile

Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8

SPEC SHEET: NOTHING PHONE (2)

Display: 6.7” LPTO Amoled, 2412 x 1080, 394ppi, HDR10+, Corning Gorilla Glass

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2, octa-core; Adreno 730 GPU

Memory: 8/12GB

Capacity: 128/256/512GB

Platform: Android 13, Nothing OS 2

Main camera: Dual 50MP wide, f/1.9 + 50MP ultrawide, f/2.2; OIS, auto-focus

Main camera video: 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps; live HDR, OIS

Front camera: 32MP wide, f/2.5, HDR

Front camera video: Full-HD @ 30fps

Battery: 4700mAh; full charge in 55m w/ 45w charger; Qi wireless, dual charging

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Google Pay)

Biometrics: Fingerprint, face unlock

I/O: USB-C

Durability: IP54, limited protection

Cards: Dual-nano SIM

Colours: Dark grey, white

In the box: Nothing Phone (2), USB-C-to-USB-C cable

Price (UAE): Dh2,499 (12GB/256GB) / Dh2,799 (12GB/512GB)

Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

RESULTS

5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species

Camelpox

Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.

Falconpox

Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.

Houbarapox

Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

Sweet Tooth

Creator: Jim Mickle
Starring: Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar, Stefania LaVie Owen
Rating: 2.5/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:

Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.

Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.

Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.

Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.

Saraya Al Khorasani:  The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.

(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)

6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

Winner Bella Fever, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Mike de Kock (trainer).

7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Woven, Harry Bentley, David Simcock.

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner Fore Left, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.

8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m

Winner Rusumaat, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Beyond Reason, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

UAE squad

Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan

LIGUE 1 FIXTURES

All times UAE (+4 GMT)

Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)

Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)

Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)

The bio

Favourite food: Japanese

Favourite car: Lamborghini

Favourite hobby: Football

Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough

Favourite country: UAE

Company Profile

Name: Neo Mobility
Started: February 2023
Co-founders: Abhishek Shah and Anish Garg
Based: Dubai
Industry: Logistics
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Delta Corp, Pyse Sustainability Fund, angel investors

UPI+facts

More+than+2.2+million+Indian+tourists+arrived+in+UAE+in+2023
More+than+3.5+million+Indians+reside+in+UAE
Indian+tourists+can+make+purchases+in+UAE+using+rupee+accounts+in+India+through+QR-code-based+UPI+real-time+payment+systems
Indian+residents+in+UAE+can+use+their+non-resident+NRO+and+NRE+accounts+held+in+Indian+banks+linked+to+a+UAE+mobile+number+for+UPI+transactions

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 420 bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: from Dh293,200

On sale: now