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Beirut: Once again, Lebanese sporadically took to the streets of Beirut and other urban areas to protest their continuing tensions, but no official nationwide movement broke out to unify their anger.
On Tuesday, protesters closed the offices of a mobile phone operator in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, and asked employees to leave the office in protest of rising prices.
Tripoli is a growing concern as thousands of households are unable to provide basic daily necessities.
Safety reports indicate that nighttime crime rates are on the rise, with random shootings in popular neighborhoods from time to time. Concerns were compounded after most people in Tripoli stopped paying for their private generator subscriptions, effectively living in the dark 24 hours a day because they could no longer afford them.
After the bundles were denominated in dollars, many Lebanese also gave up another basic service — the Internet. Caretaker Communications Minister Johnny Korm said: “The new mobile phone bill is calculated by dividing the previous bill by 3 and multiplying it by the central bank’s Sayrafa rate (25,300 LBP/USD), or by 2.5 to get Ogero service.”
Korm added: “It is true that we expect many people to stop using their phones entirely, but it is too early to give an exact figure. Consumption has dropped by 8% so far since the beginning of July.”
Protesters blocked the roads in Beirut, complained about the lack of access to the public water network for the third week in a row and bemoaned regular power outages that have battered all regions as production plants shut down.
Only one power station, the Deir al-Amar plant, continued to operate amid a shortage of fuel from Iraq, which was lower than expected as Baghdad struggled with its own power sector.
Even though the Ministry of Economy says there is enough flour to meet Lebanon’s consumption needs, citizens are still lining up in bakeries that sell only one packet of bread per customer, trying to get bread to as many customers as possible.
Meanwhile, some are selling bread on the black market for fear that wheat will not be available after Eid al-Adha because the central bank has not yet opened credit for wheat imports.
“According to the security services, organised gangs are stealing subsidised flour and selling it on the black market,” reported MP Wael Abu Faour.
According to the World Bank’s classification of countries by income level on July 1, Lebanon has become a low- and middle-income country.
“In 2021, Lebanon’s real GDP per capita fell for the 11th consecutive year, and the country also experienced a significant depreciation,” the report said, with per capita GNI of $3,450 in 2021 compared to $5,510 in 2020.
On Tuesday, representatives from the Federation of Trade Unions, Forces for Change, the private sector and civil society institutions discussed “a mechanism of action financed by the deliberate killing of the Lebanese people and the rampant corruption that has been rampant over the years.”
They unanimously agreed to “absolutely reject any price increase, especially telecommunications and the internet, as deliberate theft to continue funding a corrupt system and its groups that hold their positions and stifle citizens.”
They further called on Lebanese to be ready to take part in the upcoming actions to restore their rights, the most basic of which are telecommunications services and the Internet.
Despite Lebanon’s deteriorating economy and the failure of politicians to form a government capable of ratifying the reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund, the European Union’s Election Observatory, which oversees Lebanon’s parliamentary elections on May 15, released a report slamming the elections for having been held. .
Gyorgy Holvenyi, head of the EU team, told a news conference in Beirut: “The final report of the delegation concluded that, while preparations were hampered by limited financial and human resources, electoral authorities held a parliamentary meeting on May 15. Elections. Scheduled timing. However, these elections are overshadowed by widespread vote-buying and attachmentist practices that distort the level playing field and severely impact voter choice.”
In its report, the delegation stated: “The campaign is dynamic but has been affected by various incidents of intimidation (including on social media) and campaign obstruction. In addition, the legal framework for campaign finance exists in terms of transparency and accountability. Serious flaws.”
The mandate includes a series of recommendations to improve future electoral processes. “These recommendations are establishing a framework for a Lebanese-led progressive reform process,” Holvenyi emphasized, adding: “The EU stands ready to support Lebanon in implementing these recommendations to improve future electoral processes if deemed necessary, feasible and useful. “
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