Presidential elections in Singapore.. Tharman is the likely successor to Halima Yaqoub

Presidential elections in Singapore.. Tharman is the likely successor to Halima Yaqoub

    Friday, September 01, 2023   No comments

Since its secession from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965 until today, Singapore has known only 3 prime ministers, while 8 presidents have succeeded in that small country in Southeast Asia, which is described as a "city-state"; With an area of 710 square kilometers, and a population of 5 million people, half of whom are foreigners coming to work, making it the fourth country in the world in terms of population density.

Singapore is a country of many races, ethnicities and religions, 3 quarters of its citizens are of the Chinese race, while the rest of the population belongs to the Malay race or mixed Indian or Eurasian race. As many ethnicities as there are many religions in Singapore as well and include Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity.

All three prime ministers that Singapore has known came from ethnic Chinese - the largest of Singapore's ethnicities - and from one party, the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore continuously since 1959.

And while the presidency of the government remained confined to the Chinese ethnicity, the ethnicities of those who assumed the position of head of state, which is an honorary position, varied, as they include, in addition to the Chinese ethnicity, the Malay and Indian ethnicities, and others of mixed ethnicities as well.

The religions of these presidents also varied between Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. The first president of the state was Youssef bin Ishaq, whose image is placed on the country’s banknotes. He is a Malay Muslim who held the position for 3 consecutive terms from the founding of the state until his death in 1970. While it was Executive power is in the hands of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder and builder of Singapore and its first prime minister, who has been in office for 3 continuous decades.

The current president, Halima Yaqoub, 70, is a Muslim of the Malay ethnicity. She took office in 2017 after winning by acclamation, without a competitor, declaring that she was satisfied with one 6-year term that ends on September 17. Then, today, Friday, multi-party elections will be held to choose a successor.

In contrast to the position of prime minister, which the parties compete for in general legislative elections; The position of the president is non-partisan under the constitution, and the parliament remained the one who elects the president, until the constitution was amended in 1991, allowing him to be elected through presidential elections. Today's elections, Friday, are only the third since the constitutional amendment that transformed this position into a position elected by the public and gave the public the right to choose.

What is unique to Singapore in the requirements for a candidate for the presidency is that he has worked either as a senior government employee or CEO of a company whose shareholders have a value of at least 500 million Singapore dollars (370 million US dollars).

Although the role of the president in Singapore is largely ceremonial, there are strict requirements for the position, which formally oversees the country's accumulated financial reserves that can only be relied upon in exceptional circumstances, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2009 global financial crisis. With the power to veto certain actions and to approve anti-corruption investigations.

Three candidates who meet the conditions are competing in the elections taking place today, namely the Deputy Prime Minister and former Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is the youngest of the three candidates (65) and the most fortunate, compared to his competitors; They are Ing Kok Song, 75, and Tan Kin Lien, 75.

Economic backgrounds and a major public position appear to be the common denominator among the three contenders, who the election administration announced that they met the strict criteria for competition among the applicants for candidacy.

The announcement of their official acceptance of the candidacy came less than two weeks before the elections were held today, which is a very short period compared to the rest of the world, and was the object of the complaint of the candidate, Tan Kin Lien, who saw it as an insufficient period for the electoral campaign that ended last Wednesday before the election day of silence yesterday, Thursday.

The nominee, Ing Kok Song, is a former chief investment officer at the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund that manages the country's foreign reserves, and spent more than 4 decades working in public service until his retirement in 2013. Ing is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Avanda Management Corporation. Investments worth billions of dollars.

Having spent years working closely with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Eng admitted he might be seen as "part of the establishment". However, he believes that the lack of direct political affiliation makes him an independent candidate. He never joined the Popular Action Party, which has ruled the country since its independence six decades ago. He believes that his long experience in the financial sector puts him in a good position to protect the national reserves.

As for Tan Kin Lien, a former presidential candidate in Singapore, this is his second attempt to win the position. Having come last out of 4 candidates in the 2011 presidential election, he is a former chairman of one of Singapore's leading insurance companies and has the support of several opposition leaders.

Layan presided over the International Federation of Cooperative and Mutual Insurance from 1992 to 1997, and the federation was an international organization that at that time represented 123 insurance groups in 65 countries, and employed 260,000 people. The total assets of the members of this international association amounted to 1.5 trillion US dollars in 1997.

As for the most likely candidate, Deputy Prime Minister and former Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, he is a multi-ethnic Singaporean citizen (Tamil-Indian-Ceylon) who is known as a supporter of the ruling People's Action Party, but he submitted his resignation before his candidacy. He is widely seen as having the support of the government, and has been questioned about his independence during the election campaign.

Before resigning his government positions to contest this election, Tharman spent more than two decades in office with the People's Action Party, rising to the position of Deputy Prime Minister.

He was first elected to Parliament in 2001 and was Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the Coordinating Minister for Social Policy, and provided economic advice to Prime Minister Lee.

He said that if given the opportunity to lead, he would be "total and impartial in the discharge of the constitutional duties of office in respect of the prudent use of the country's reserves".

While his rivals seemed preoccupied with their party independence, Tharman urged voters to judge candidates on their record, rather than their past affiliations.

"If I am lucky enough to be elected president, I will represent the unity of Singaporeans, of all races, religions, social backgrounds and political leanings, at a time when views among the population are becoming more diverse," he said.

Since Tharman entered Singaporean politics just over two decades ago, he has avoided constant calls from the public that he should become the next prime minister of the Southeast Asian country.

Tharman - who is very popular and has risen in the ranks of the ruling People's Action Party, and is very popular among members of the opposition - insists that he is not suitable for the position of prime minister. He even likened his refereeing skills to those of a soccer goal-maker, saying that he is better as a team player who can provide assists than a superstar who scores goals. "I enjoy making long passes," he said. "But I'm not the striker."

His candidacy is thus a far cry from the quest for the premiership currently held by Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Singapore's founding prime minister. He is expected to retire and choose his successor before the country's next general election in 2025.

But it is a step that helps avoid the looming question of whether the Chinese-majority country (or the ruling party) that promotes its multi-ethnic and pluralistic society is ready or reluctant to elevate someone from an ethnic minority to the position of prime minister.

Also unique to Singapore is voting, which is compulsory for more than 2.7 million eligible citizens of Singapore. Those who do not vote without valid reason are subject to being removed from the voter list.

He also notes the absence of long, orderly lines at polling stations, as well as the raucous atmosphere that can accompany elections in other countries, with supporters cheering or handing out flyers to push for last-minute votes. And "presidential elections are increasingly being treated as a general election."

Today's presidential elections are being watched closely as an indication of support for the ruling Popular Action Party after a rare series of political scandals that rocked the party recently, which is rare in a country that has benefited from the reputation of its clean government, and has become an international center for a group of industries such as finance and aviation, especially since the party has suffered from its worst electoral performance ever in 2020; However, he maintained his majority of more than two-thirds.

Observers said the vote could indicate the level of support for the PAP ahead of general elections scheduled for 2025 or discontent after recent scandals that include a corruption investigation into the transport minister and the resignation of two PAP lawmakers over an affair.

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The release of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on bail

The release of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on bail

    Friday, May 12, 2023   No comments

Today, Friday, a court in Islamabad released former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, 70, after the Supreme Court overturned his arrest warrant, which caused riots across the country.

"The court granted Imran Khan two weeks' bail, and ordered the authorities not to arrest him again during this period, as part of a corruption case," Khawaja Harris, one of his lawyers, told reporters before the court.

Khan was granted conditional release in a number of other cases.

The court decided that he should not be arrested again, before Monday, in any of the other ten cases he is being prosecuted for, or in the case of acts of violence committed by his supporters this week.

Khan was arrested last Tuesday while a court in Islamabad was hearing his testimony in a corruption case, and then placed in pre-trial detention the next day for eight days.

However, the Supreme Court confirmed that his arrest was "invalid and illegal," and considered that "this arrest came at the initiative of the Anti-Corruption Office, and violated his rights to resort to the judiciary," because "it should not have happened in a court." The court decided that today, Friday, he would appear again before the court, where he was arrested.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced that "Khan will be arrested sooner or later."

For his part, Khan says that he is "subject to judicial harassment at the push of the government and the army to prevent his return to power."

Rights activists say Pakistani courts are often used to stifle political dissent.

It is noteworthy that Khan was ousted from power after a vote of no confidence in Parliament last April, and since then more than 100 lawsuits have been filed against the 70-year-old opposition leader, including charges of “terrorism, incitement to violence and graft.”

Since his overthrow, Khan faces several legal measures, knowing that he is still very popular, and hopes to return to power in the legislative elections scheduled for next October.

It is noteworthy that at least 8 people were killed, and as many as 290 were injured, in clashes across Pakistan, over Khan's arrest.

Politicians’ Micromanagement of the war in Ukraine is exacting a heavy cost

Politicians’ Micromanagement of the war in Ukraine is exacting a heavy cost

    Monday, March 06, 2023   No comments

There is no doubt that Russian leaders started their operation in Ukraine with different calculus. They may have underestimated the cohesion of the Ukrainian armed forces, perhaps thinking that many will switch side or even overthrow the civilian leadership in order to settle the conflict with minimum losses.  By the second week of the conflict, however, Russian generals seem to have become convinced that Ukrainian generals prepared for the war and the war will be years long--not days or weeks. The Russian generals recommended retreat from areas near Kiev. The redeployment was quick, within days, Russian troops that were just 20 miles from the seat of the Ukrainian government were moved the Donbass region. Still, the Russian forces lost many troops and military hardware. 

By the fall of 2022, Russian generals also realized that their positions in the south, in Kherson, west of the Dnipro River, are difficult to defend. They recommended moving troops across the river. The ministry of defense leaders took their recommendation to the political leadership, where the recommendation was approved. Troops moved across and the bridges were destroyed to limit the chance of success of any massive counter attack by Ukrainian troops.

In contrast, when Ukrainian troops were loosing the battle in Mariupol, south of Ukraine, they were ordered to stay and fight. They stayed. The city was besieged and no one was able to escape. Those who did not die, an estimated 2000 Ukrainian troops, surrendered and were taken as POWs, some of whom were handed over in return for Russian POWs. 

The same scenario repeated itself in Soledar and other cities and town in the vicinity of Bakhmut. It is reasonable to assume that the hundreds of miles long underground tunnels and mines are very valuable defensive locations and should not be abandoned without a fight. However, when such positions cannot be defended, delaying the inevitable can have a huge strategic and tactical impact on the course of the war.

The images of Ukrainian troops dead, and those who did not die are exhaustedly walking in muddy backroad because all major roads are now under the control of Russian forces, such images can be demoralizing to the rest of the troops in nearby towns. They will be forced to think that their turn will be next and they will be thinking of escape routes, which would take their focus away from the battle. 

In an attempt to open a road for retreating troops, mechanized forces brought in heavy weapons, which exposed them to arial attacks. When these forces return to their defensive positions, such positions will be known and that will degrade their ability to launch counter attacks.

When Russian generals recommended retreat from some areas, the move was approved and the retreat took place quickly, minimizing losses. 

When Ukrainian generals recommended the same, every time the president of Ukraine ordered them to stay until the last minute, only to retreat leaving behind dead soldiers and destroyed equipment. That is the cost of politicians running the war by remote.

The outcome of the war in Ukraine may not depend on how much weapons NATO can supply to Ukraine, but how many costly mistakes politicians would make managing battles.

Here is Zelenskiy's recent statement about the reported difference of opinion; he said there was no other opinion. If true, that would be troubling state of mind.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are chaotically retreating from Bakhmut, leaving behind destroyed western supplied hardware. With no major roads available for the retreating troops, they are forced to use backroads that do not allow for relocation of heavy equipment. If political leaders send more troops to reopen supply roads or to secure roads for retreating troops, those forces will be exposed and may suffer the same fate.

Here is a glimpse of Ukrainian troops retreat.

The Jordanian Parliament decided to dismiss Representative Muhammad Al-Fayez, following a letter he addressed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman

The Jordanian Parliament decided to dismiss Representative Muhammad Al-Fayez, following a letter he addressed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman

    Wednesday, January 18, 2023   No comments

The Jordanian Parliament decided to dismiss Representative Muhammad Al-Fayez, following a letter he addressed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman, in which he appealed to him not to send aid to Jordan, so that it would not reach “pockets of corruption and the corrupt,” after he had submitted his resignation from Parliament last month. Past.

And the official Jordanian News Agency, Petra, stated that the House of Representatives decided to dismiss Al-Fayez, noting that “92 out of 110 deputies who attended the session voted on the Legal Committee’s decision related to the dismissal of Representative Al-Fayez.”

The reasons for the decision stated that the representative violated “parliamentary and diplomatic norms, with regard to the manner of addressing and insulting issued by him in a letter addressed to a sister Arab country, and discrediting the Kingdom through it.”

Al-Fayez had sent, in mid-December, a message to Ibn Salman through the ambassador of Riyadh to Jordan, in which he said: “We do not want aid and we do not want donations.

He added, “All your goods reach the pockets of corruption and the corrupt, and the notion that your donations go to pay the bills of all Jordanians, including innocent people, is a lie.” He added, “We hear about aid to the state, but it only goes to a corrupt class that gets richer at the expense of the dignity of the proud Jordanian.”

Al-Fayez, who belongs to the Bani Sakher tribe, one of the largest tribes in Jordan, and many of its members hold leadership positions in the state, submitted his resignation from the House of Representatives on December 22, justifying that by "the parliament's inability to achieve anything."

This comes at a time when Jordan is suffering from difficult economic conditions, which were exacerbated by the “Covid” pandemic. Unemployment rates rose in 2021 to about 25%, according to official figures, while it rose among the youth category to 50%.

The poverty rate rose to 24%, and the public debt exceeded $47 billion, or more than 106% of the GDP.

The Kingdom's economy, which suffers from a scarcity of natural resources, relies heavily on aid, especially from the United States, the European Union and the Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia.

According to the Jordanian constitution, the parliament has the power to decide whether to accept or reject a request for the resignation of deputies. If it rejects it, the deputy’s membership continues to complete the legal term of the parliament, which is set at four years, even if he does not attend any of the parliament’s sessions. But if it is accepted by the majority of its members, the seat is filled.

The mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned for two years and 7 months for "insulting officials"

The mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned for two years and 7 months for "insulting officials"

    Wednesday, December 14, 2022   No comments

On Wednesday, a Turkish court sentenced the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, to more than two years in prison on charges of insulting members of the Supreme Electoral Commission, which effectively prevents him from practicing politics.

Turkish media said that the judiciary sentenced Oglu to two years and 7 months in prison for insulting members of the Supreme Electoral Commission.

And imposed a political ban on him for insulting public officials, in a ruling that is expected to be appealed.

Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was prosecuted from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for a speech he gave in 2019 in which he said those who canceled Istanbul's local elections at the time were "foolish".

It should be noted that the maximum penalty for this charge is four years imprisonment.

For his part, Oglu's lawyer confirmed that he would appeal the ruling, which means that he will remain in the position of mayor, but he is now excluded from the presidential elections scheduled for next year.

The case dates back to a statement issued by Imamoglu, after he defeated the candidate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist party in the controversial 2019 municipal elections.

Persons sentenced to less than four years' imprisonment are rarely sent to prison in Turkey.

"This is an unfortunate approach to democracy and the rule of law," his lawyer, Kemal Polat, told AFP.

Imamoglu (52 years old) defeated Erdogan's party in March 2019, by winning the mayoralty of Istanbul, which was led by the ruling Justice and Development Party for 25 years.

The government canceled Imamoglu's election, but he returned and won by a large margin in the run-off elections after about three months.

A few months later, Ekrem Imamoglu considered those who canceled his election victory "stupid," echoing a phrase that Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu had used against him a few hours earlier.

This description exposed the mayor of Istanbul to prosecution for "insulting" members of the Supreme Electoral Council.

Demonstrations in Bangladesh calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the dissolution of Parliament

Demonstrations in Bangladesh calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the dissolution of Parliament

    Tuesday, December 13, 2022   No comments

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, demanding the dissolution of parliament in order to make room for new elections, and also the resignation of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wajid.

The mass protest in the capital on Saturday was organized by the opposition Bangladesh National Party, which accuses Hasina of failing to tackle soaring fuel prices and the cost of living.

The demonstration comes amid a wave of protests calling for Hasina to step down and calling for new elections.

Hasina responded by calling the opposition leaders "terrorists" and warning people not to allow the largest opposition party, the Bangladesh National Party, to return to power.

Several people were arrested in the run-up to Saturday's protest.

Police arrested two senior BNP leaders, including the party's general secretary, Mirza Alamgir, last Friday.

Authorities said Alamgir faces charges, without giving further information. At least one man was killed during clashes between protesters and police last Wednesday, when security forces fired tear gas to disperse people gathered in front of the National Party office in the capital.

Report: Half of the world's democracies are in decline, and Washington is in peril

Report: Half of the world's democracies are in decline, and Washington is in peril

    Wednesday, November 30, 2022   No comments

A report published by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance revealed today, Wednesday, that half of the democracies in the world are witnessing a decline in their political system.

"We are now seeing factors that are very unfavorable to democracy, exacerbated by the consequences of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine," Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary general of the Sweden-based institute, told AFP.

He explained that this regression could appear through a review of the credibility of elections, violations of the rule of law, or the imposition of restrictions in civic space.

The number of democracies facing serious undermining, which the report classified as countries "in decline" increased from 6 to 7 in 2022, with El Salvador added to it along with the United States since last year, and Brazil, Hungary, Poland, India and the island of Mauritius.

Kevin Casas-Zamora saw the US situation as "particularly dangerous". The report warned that this country suffers from problems of political polarization, disruption in the work of institutions, and threats to civil liberties.

"It is now clear that this fever has not subsided with the election of a new administration," said the Secretary-General.

This appears especially in the levels of polarization out of control, and attempts to "undermine the credibility of election results without any evidence of fraud," according to Casas-Zamora.

The rise of authoritarianism

Of the 173 countries included in the report, 52 of the democracies included in it are in decline.

On the other hand, 27 countries moved to an authoritarian regime, which is more than double the countries that moved to democracy.

Likewise, almost half of the authoritarian regimes tightened their repression during 2022, while Afghanistan, Belarus, Cambodia, the Comoros and Nicaragua recorded a "regression", according to the report.

In Asia, where only 54% of the population lives in a democracy, authoritarianism intensifies, while the African continent remains "resilient" in the face of instability despite the many challenges it faces.

In Europe, about half of the democracies, or 17 countries, have suffered a decline over the past five years.

The report stressed that "democracies are striving to find an effective balance in an environment of instability and anxiety, and populism continues to spread in the world, while innovation and growth are stagnant or regressing."

He noted "worrying trends" even in countries with medium or high democratic standards.

Casas-Zamora explained that "democratic regimes have recorded a real deterioration in the last two decades, and this raises a hot issue," but on the other hand, there are "signs of progress."

_________

Sources: 

https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/global-democracy-weakens-2022

Mahathir Mohamad loses his seat in the Malaysian parliament

Mahathir Mohamad loses his seat in the Malaysian parliament

    Saturday, November 19, 2022   No comments

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 97, lost his seat in parliament following the legislative elections that took place on Saturday, which threatens to put an end to the long career of this veteran politician who was hoping to return to the political scene.

Mahathir, who served as Malaysia's prime minister for more than two decades in two terms, failed to retain his parliamentary seat and came fourth in a competition contested by five candidates in the Langkawi island constituency.

The seat was won by a candidate from the National Alliance, which is led by another former prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Mahathir leads a coalition that pledged to overthrow the current National Front coalition government on the grounds of accusations of corruption, but his alliance is not a major competitor, as the Front faces two other major coalitions, the Muhyiddin bloc and another led by Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir's arch-rival for a long time.

Mahathir said in an interview with Reuters this month that he would retire from politics if he lost.

Millions of voters went to the polls to participate in the national elections, which were called early, in an attempt to end the political instability.

The election is the first since the historic vote in 2018, when the party, which has ruled the Southeast Asian country since its independence in 1957, was defeated in the wake of a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal.

A single party is unlikely to win an outright majority in the 222-seat House of Representatives, and the majority of the major parties have campaigned under one banner, in a race between three major alliances.

Three successive prime ministers in the country within 3 years, including Mahathir Mohamad, 97, who ruled Malaysia for more than two decades during two terms in power.

The economic issue emerges as a priority for parties and voters alike. According to a survey prepared by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, it was found that 74% of respondents consider the economy a priority, followed by political stability and corruption.

Punjab province election results show that Imran Khan, forced out prime minister of Pakistan, is not going anywhere

Punjab province election results show that Imran Khan, forced out prime minister of Pakistan, is not going anywhere

    Wednesday, July 27, 2022   No comments

Punjab province election results was bad enough news for those who wanted Imran Khan out of politics. To make matters worse for them, yesterday, the Pakistani Supreme Court issued a decision in the case raised a few days ago regarding the vote on the presidency of the Punjab provincial government, which invalidated the victory of Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the head of the provincial government, in favor of Pervez Elahi Chaudhry, the candidate of the PTI party that he leads.

In this way, the Insaf Party was able to invest its victory in the elections in Punjab, which is the largest and most influential province in Pakistan on the political scene. This region owns more than half of the seats in the country's parliament, and the winner of his local elections will have the opportunity to form the federal government later.

This prompted Imran Khan to demand again new national elections after his party's landslide victory. "Any other path will only lead to more political uncertainty and economic chaos," he said on Twitter.

There are a number of reasons for Imran Khan's success in this election. Between 30 to 45 thousand new voters were added to the voter register, who usually vote for parties and not individuals.

Al-Insaf Party's nomination of popular members or influential families and clans, in addition to obtaining the support of religious groups (Sunni and Shiite) in some electoral districts.

The effective campaign of the leadership of the Insaf Party, especially after the 10th of April (the date of the overthrow of the Khan government), and the focus on the external role in this overthrow, despite the repeated denials of this by his opponents.

Imran Khan's performance in the electoral rallies, which observers and followers described as admirable, as his personality was a decisive factor by urging voters to "jihad" and defeat "traitors" and achieve the real independence of the country and prevent any external interference, and this is popular with the Pakistani people.

Outside these matters, there is alos the state of other political parties. Internal disagreements over the nomination of members within Sharif's Muslim League party, which led to the division of the popular base for them, in addition to their lack of a clear plan or a strong electoral campaign. So what might happen in the near future?

A. Federal Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is supposed to announce early elections in the country.

B. If Sharif does not do so, then there is a high probability that Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi will resort to dissolving the provincial parliament, and this may force Sharif to dissolve the federal parliament. It is also possible that the Chief Minister of the PTI-controlled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province will do a similar scenario, and this will certainly destabilize the federal government.

 

Some Lebanese politicians and their outside backers may have celebrated too soon

Some Lebanese politicians and their outside backers may have celebrated too soon

    Monday, May 16, 2022   No comments

Maysem Rizq Reviews News coverage of Elections in Lebenon

 

It remains for the Lebanese to preserve their fresh memory to review the winners or losers in everything they said and made during the past two months.

24 hours was enough to turn the picture of the results that the opponents of Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement wanted to circulate on Sunday evening. If Hezbollah (along with its ally, President Nabih Berri) has firmly seized the entire Shiite parliamentary bloc over the whole of Lebanon, what emergped from the developments in the Christian community ended in the absence of the image of victory that the Lebanese forces spread on Sunday evening, and official and unofficial results showed that the current The Free Patriotic Movement won a parliamentary bloc that outperforms the forces bloc. And if the loss of the current in the Jezzine district represented a major blow, the forces’ loss of one of the two seats of Bcharre was a major and unprecedented blow, bearing in mind that scrutiny of vote percentages remains linked to reviewing the full results. A quick reading of the names of the winners from the members of the two teams or those allied with them shows the movement's progress over the forces by at least a seat.

What was remarkable on the day following the count was not only the loss of some Hezbollah allies, including all the Syrian Social Nationalist Party candidates and candidates Talal Arslan, Wiam Wahhab and Marwan Khair al-Din, but rather the ability of youth groups that emerged from the October 17 uprising to achieve serious violations in several circles. It can be said that these groups succeeded in challenging the traditional forces in the south, the Bekaa, the mountains and the north, in addition to Beirut.

Detailed political readings will occupy the scene over the next few days. But what must be confirmed until now is not promising, especially since the voting in most constituencies was based on a sharp sectarian and sectarian background, and even the boycott in many constituencies reflected the frustration of a large part of the Sunnis who represent the base of the Future Movement.

In practice, the official results announced by the Minister of Interior Bassam al-Mawlawi until midnight last night presented the final figures in 12 constituencies, and the official results remained limited to the districts of Tripoli - Minieh - Denniye, Akkar and Beirut II, where it is assumed that the real repercussions of the reluctance of President Saad Hariri's audience in these Sunni-majority districts.

There are many titles related to the main forces that ran in the elections. But the media scene, with its political background, focused on two things. The first relates to the results of voting in the Christian street and the nature of voting among Sunnis in most of Lebanon's districts. In this context, the following can be mentioned:

Tayyar (Current) and Quwat (Forces)

From Sunday evening until sunset yesterday, time was heavy on the audience and leaders of the Free Patriotic Movement. Despite Gibran Bassil winning his seat in Batroun, and declaring his victory over all the political forces and financial machines that had gathered to topple him, the announced results indicated that the movement had lost in front of the forces. This was reflected in frustration among the Aoun public, especially since the forces did not provide a television or radio program or a page on social media to announce their landslide victory and the formation of the largest parliamentary bloc from north to south. It is not just numbers for the movement, but its loss of a set of political privileges that begin with the government and do not end with appointments and key Christian positions in the state as well as sitting at the decision table. The privileges he has been accustomed to since 2005 as a result of his victory in the largest parliamentary bloc, and which mainly led to the arrival of President Michel Aoun to his position. The crash looked strong after 17 years.

In the evening, however, the scene changed. The picture began to fade since it became clear that the movement won four seats in Akkar, followed by the announcement of the victory of MP George Atallah in Koura, and then the forces' loss of the minority seat in Beirut I. This coincided with the struggle of candidate Gad Ghosn with the forces on the Matn seat, and news of the loss of George Adwan in the Chouf in favor of Ghada Eid.

On paper and pen, the Aounists could enumerate 19 deputies, in addition to 3 allied deputies from the Tashnaq Party, so that the bloc would have 22 deputies. While the forces were retreating from 23 to 18, MP Raji Al-Saad was added to them as an ally after MP Camille Chamoun announced that he did not intend to join the bloc of forces, bringing the result to 22 for the current and 19 for the forces. Soon, it became possible to talk about a completely changed picture between the two republics; The Quwatists seemed more anxious, and the Aounists more comfortable, especially with the "violation" of George Atallah in Koura.

However, the biggest blow that the Forces received came after the official result of the third northern district was announced, and the announcement of the fall of the troop candidate Joseph Ishak in exchange for the victory of the candidate William Tawq in the troop den in Bcharre. It is a loss equal to 18 deputies or more. This news sparked a wave of countless comments and publications, the majority of which belong to the Free Patriotic Movement. MP Strida Geagea, prior to the election day, addressed Basil by saying: “Let him stop his neighbors in Batroun on May 15th.” You shook and you became a human being, a rewarder.” Thus, it flared up again between the forces and the current, and it was now possible to talk about the Aounists regaining their breath. In fact, the Free Patriotic Movement will organize a "victory festival" to announce its victory next Saturday. For him, “Exiting this many representatives after all the war that was waged against him, both foreign and internal, and by all available means, including Gulf ambassadors, pressure on candidates, money, propaganda, media, media professionals, and funded programs, is a crushing victory, stronger and stronger than all past victories.”

Results of the Lebanese Parliamentary Elections (partial)

Results of the Lebanese Parliamentary Elections (partial)

    Monday, May 16, 2022   No comments

 

The Lebanese Parliamentary Elections.. Announcing the winning candidates in 12 constituencies

The representatives were distributed among their parties so far, according to the following:

Hezbollah and Amal Movement: 32 deputies

Free Patriotic Movement: 20 deputies

Lebanese Forces Party: 18 deputies

The Kataeb Party: 5 MPs

Tashnak Party: 2

Marada party: 2

Independents: 14 deputies

Civil society: 11 deputies

The Minister of Interior and Municipalities of Lebanon held a press conference at eleven at night in which he announced the preliminary and non-final percentages of the parliamentary elections that took place in the 15 constituencies on all Lebanese territories. And the Lebanese National News Agency reported that the minister said, in an on-screen explanation, that "the percentages are estimates and are not final, and they are issued by the operations room in the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces after the officers communicated with the heads of the regions in all regions. There are 60 unfinished positions remaining. Some have been handed over. The heads of the centers, the registration committees, the records of the pens, according to what we received from the directorate, and he said: "They are discretionary percentages, and they become final after looking into all the objections submitted by the candidates or the candidates' representatives, and we will follow up on the final result little by little."

Minister Mawlawi read out the estimated voting percentages after closing the polls, with the exception of 60 polling stations, which are as follows:

Beirut First District: 28.50%

Beirut Second District: 38.33%

Mount Lebanon First District (Byblos - Kesrouane): 55.93%

Mount Lebanon Second District (Matn): 42.70%

Mount Lebanon Third District (Baabda): 43.44%

Mount Lebanon Fourth District (Chouf - Aley): 44.49%

South District One (Sidon - Jezzine): 42.30%

Second South District (Sidon Villages - Tyre): 42.77%

South District Three: (Hasbaya - Marjeyoun - Nabatiyeh - Bint Jbeil): 41.76%

North District One (Akkar): 40.73%

Second North District (Minya - Denniye - Tripoli): 30.60%

North Third District (Zgharta - Bcharre - Koura - Batroun): 38.45%

Bekaa District One (Zahle): 43.02%

Second Bekaa Constituency (Rashaya - West Bekaa): 34.20%

Bekaa Third District (Baalbek-Hermel): 48.90%

Total in all of Lebanon: 41.04%

Parliamentary elections are held in Lebanon every 4 years, according to the distribution adopted since the Taif Agreement in 1989, with 128 seats divided equally between Muslims and Christians throughout the country.

The 128 seats are distributed as follows: 28 for Sunnis, 28 for Shiites, 8 for Druze, 34 for Maronites, 14 for Orthodox, 8 for Catholics, 5 for Armenians, two seats for Alawites, and one seat for minorities within the Christian community.

Some details:

According to Mawlawi, the voter turnout in the second district of Mount Lebanon (Northern Matn) reached 49.43%, and the winners are:

Two seats for the Free Patriotic Movement: Ibrahim Kanaan and Elias Bou Saab.

Two seats for the Lebanese Forces party: Melhem Riachy and Razi al-Hajj.

Two seats for the Lebanese Kataeb Party: Sami Gemayel and Elias Hankash.

A seat for the Tashnaq party: Hagop Pakradounian.

Independent seat: Michel Murr.

As for the fourth district of Mount Lebanon (Chouf - Aley), the voter turnout reached 48.6%, and the winners are:

5 seats for the Progressive Socialist Party: Taymour Jumblatt, Marwan Hamadeh, Akram Chehayeb, Bilal Abdullah and Raji Al-Saad.

3 seats for the Free Patriotic Movement: Farid Al-Bustani, Cesar Abi Khalil and Ghassan Atallah.

3 independent seats: Najat Khattar Aoun, Halima Kaqour and Mark Daou.

Two seats for the Lebanese Forces party: George Adwan and Nazih Matta.

In the third district of the North (Bcharre - Batroun - Zgharta - Koura), the voter turnout was 44.20%. The winners are:

Two seats for the Lebanese Forces party: Sethrida Geagea and Ghiath Yazbek.

Two seats for the Free Patriotic Movement: Gebran Bassil and George Atallah.

Two seats for the Marada Movement: Tony Franjieh and William Tawk.

3 seats for independents: Michel Moawad, Adib Abdel Massih and Michel Douaihy.

As for the third district of the South (Bint Jbeil - Nabatiyeh - Marjayoun and Hasbaya), the winners are:

3 seats for Hezbollah: Muhammad Raad, Hassan Fadlallah and Ali Fayyad.

6 seats for the Amal Movement: Hani Qubaisi, Ali Hassan Khalil, Ayoub Hamid, Ashraf Baydoun, Nasser Jaber and Qassem Hashem.

Two seats for independents: Elias Jarada and Firas Hamdan.

Molloy had announced, earlier, the results of the following departments:

- South District One (Sidon - Jezzine), the voter turnout was 46.6%, and the winners are:

3 seats for independents: Abdel Rahman Al-Bizri, Osama Saad and Charbel Massad.

Two seats for the Lebanese Forces party: Ghada Ayoub and Saeed Al-Asmar.

In the second district of the South (Tyre - Sidon villages), the voter turnout was 48.8%, and the winners are:

5 seats for the Amal Movement: Nabih Berri, Ali Khreis, Inayat Ezzedine, Ali Oseiran and Michel Musa.

Two seats for Hezbollah: Hussein Jashi and Hassan Ezzedine.

Bekaa District One (Zahle), the voter turnout was 49.5%, and the winners are:

Two seats for the Lebanese Forces party: George Akis and Elias Stephan.

Seat of the Free Patriotic Movement: Salim Aoun.

A seat for the Tashnaq Party: George Bushekian.

A seat for Hezbollah: Rami Abu Hamdan.

Independent seat: Michel Daher.

The Second Bekaa Constituency (West Bekaa - Rashaya), the voter turnout was 42.47%, and the winners are:

A seat for the Amal movement: Qabalan Qabalan.

Seat of the Progressive Socialist Party: Wael Abu Faour.

Seat of the Free Patriotic Movement: Charbel Maroun.

3 independent seats: Hassan Murad, Yassin Yassin and Ghassan Skaf.

In the third Bekaa constituency (Baalbek-Hermel), the winners are:

Six seats for Hezbollah: Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, Ihab Hamadeh, Ali Al-Miqdad, Ibrahim Al-Mousawi, Yall Al-Solh, and Melhem Al-Hujairi.

Seat for the Amal Movement: Ghazi Zuaiter.

Seat of the Free Patriotic Movement: Samer Al-Tom.

Seat of the Lebanese Forces: Antoine Habashi.

Seat for Independents: Jamil El-Sayed.

- Mount Lebanon First Constituency (Byblos - Kesrouan), the voter turnout was 63.4%, and the winners are:

Two seats for the Lebanese Forces party: Ziad Al-Hawat and Shawki Daccache.

Two seats for the Free Patriotic Movement: Simon Abi Ramia and Nada Al-Bustani.

Two seats for independents: Nima'a Afram and Farid Haikal El-Khazen.

Seat of the Lebanese Kataeb Party: Salim Al-Sayegh.

A seat for Hezbollah: Raed Berro.

- Mount Lebanon Third District (Baabda), the voter turnout was 47.39%, and the winners are:

Seat of the Lebanese Forces Party: Pierre Bou Assi.

Seat of the Free Patriotic Movement: Alain Aoun.

Seat of the Progressive Socialist Party: Hadi Abul-Hassan.

Seat of the National Liberal Party: Camille Chamoun.

A seat for Hezbollah: Ali Ammar.

A seat for the Amal movement: Fadi Alama.

Thus, the Ministry of Interior has announced the results of 11 constituencies, provided that the results of the remaining four constituencies (Beirut's first and second districts and the first and second districts of the North) will be announced, respectively. The voter turnout in all of Lebanon reached about 41%, noting that the voter turnout in the 2018 session was 49.68%.

Like many new American veterans, I owe my life to Muslims: Trump’s executive order is un-American, dishonorable and severely harmful to U.S. national security

Like many new American veterans, I owe my life to Muslims: Trump’s executive order is un-American, dishonorable and severely harmful to U.S. national security

    Monday, February 20, 2017   No comments

Like many new American veterans, I owe my life to Muslims — the Iraqi and Afghan comrades who fought alongside me during my multiple combat tours as a Green Beret.

I join fellow veterans in Seattle and nationwide in denouncing President Trump’s decision to temporarily ban people from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States. Trump’s executive order is un-American, dishonorable and severely harmful to U.S. national security.

This sweeping and ill-conceived order will further damage U.S. credibility in the Muslim world, and will fuel recruiting by insurgent and terrorist groups claiming that America is at war with Islam.

Moreover, this shortsighted move will backfire by curbing the immigration of people from the Middle East and Africa whose language skills and cultural knowledge are in short supply in the United States. From a national-security perspective, turning our backs on them undermines our long-term interests.

 This indiscriminate ban threatens to make it harder to recruit native-born translators to support operations in Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Yemen, as well as in future conflicts, jeopardizing the lives of U.S. troops.

Throughout my military career, loyal Iraqis and Afghans displayed incredible bravery under fire to protect me and my men. These linguists have proved their trustworthiness on the field of battle and undergone extreme vetting. Our nation pledged to resettle in America interpreters who put themselves and their families at risk by working for the U.S. government.

But Trump’s ban even temporarily blocked Iraqi interpreters and their families from the United States — exposing them to unnecessary danger. It took an outcry from veterans and concern inside the Pentagon to push the Trump administration to amend the ban on Thursday and allow these heroes to immigrate as promised.

The damage caused by a stroke of Trump’s pen is already being felt, disrupting thousands of lives — from the most vulnerable refugees to talented immigrant employees of major U.S. companies. Fear is spreading.  source

POTUS loses again: Appeals court maintains the freeze on Muslim Ban

POTUS loses again: Appeals court maintains the freeze on Muslim Ban

    Friday, February 10, 2017   No comments

ISR Comment: For the thirst time, the White House lost in court.  

 Learn about the process

It failed to convince three judges that the freeze of POTUS' Muslim ban should be lifted.The White House insists that it will pursue the defense of the ban in courts still. Trump is not stranger to using the court system. Before moving into the White House, he stood as the most litigious person ever to be nominated by a major party to run for the U.S presidency. In June 2016, USA TODAY analyzed legal filings across the United States found that the then "presumptive Republican presidential nominee and his businesses have been involved in at least 3,500 legal actions in federal and state courts during the past three decades."
Now that lawyers will be paid by tax payers, not from his personal or business accounts, it is likely that he will continue to take every challenged decision to courts.
  ______________

The 9th Circuit’s Opinion on the Muslim Ban:

German international magazine, der spiegel, publishes a dossier about Trump's presidency, the illustrative image is astounding

German international magazine, der spiegel, publishes a dossier about Trump's presidency, the illustrative image is astounding

    Saturday, February 04, 2017   No comments

 ISR comment: The image illustrating the cover dossier of “Der Spiegel,” a leading magazine out of Germany, a country that knows firsthand the consequences of being ruled by populist authoritarians, is astounding. It speaks to the power of art in capturing the moment. Its selection for the cover of the magazine underscores the role of the media and journalism in society during challenging times.
__________________

Donald Trump has now been president of the United States for two weeks. It literally pains me to write about all that has happened in these first days. The president of the U.S. is a racist. He is attempting a coup from the top; he wants to establish an illiberal democracy, or worse; he wants to undermine the balance of power.

With his style of rule -- his decrees, his appointments and his firings -- he is dividing Washington and the rest of the country. Our cover story this week, which will be published in English on Monday, describes how Trump's inner circle works and how insecurity has grown among government officials. It sheds light on the role of Stephen Bannon, the former head of the right-wing news portal Breitbart News, who has become Trump's Faust, his chief ideologue and the man pulling the strings in the White House. Bannon is also a man who loves wars -- he sees them as being thoroughly advantageous.


During the course of his reporting on the cover story, SPIEGEL Washington correspondent Gordon Repinski met with government officials who spoke of their worries and their pangs of guilt. "They are considering whether the right thing to do would be to leave the government or to put up resistance from within," says Repinski. In London, my colleague Peter Müller spoke with Ted Malloch, who is considered Trump's favorite for the post of ambassador to the European Union -- a man who has praised Brexit and predicted the collapse of the euro.

  

The problem will not resolve itself. German business is the opponent of American trade policy, the German democracy is the ideological opponent of Donald Trump, but even here, in the middle of Germany, right-wing extremists are trying to give him a helping hand. It is high time that we stand up for what is important: democracy, freedom, the West and its alliances. Germany, of all countries, the economically and politically dominant democracy in Europe, will have to form the alliance against Trump, because it won't otherwise take shape. It is, however, absolutely necessary.


  

The image for this week's cover was created by the artist Edel Rodriguez. Edel was nine years old when, in 1980, he came to the U.S. with his mother -- two refugees, like so many others. "I remember it well, and I remember the feelings and how little kids feel when they are leaving their country," he told the Washington Post on Friday night.

The newspaper wrote: "This DER SPIEGEL Trump cover is stunning." It wasn't the first time Edel has drawn Trump. He usually portrays him without eyes -- you just see his angry, gaping mouth and, of course, the hair. "I don't want to live in a dictatorship," he says. "If I wanted to live in a dictatorship, I'd live in Cuba, where it's much warmer."

In other vital coverage this week, New York correspondent Philipp Oehmke met up with Dave Eggers and Wolfgang Höbel interviewed T.C. Boyle. Both American authors spoke about the issue gripping the entire world right now: Trump's America. "The world must be shaking," says Boyle.

Finally, in a SPIEGEL interview, my colleagues Horand Knaup, Markus Feldenkirchen and I asked Martin Schulz, the center-left Social Democratic Party's candidate challenging Angela Merkel in this year's chancellor race, what he thought of Trump. "Contemptible. He crosses the boundaries of every basic consensus that a democracy needs! It's staggering."

 A selection of stories from the issue will be published in English this week at
Spiegel.de/international.