BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament is expected to vote on Thursday to extend its own term until 2018 without an election, officials said, as activists called for protests to prevent what they said would be a blow to democracy.
Lebanese politics has long been dogged by sectarian divisions, with the Syrian war exacerbating party rivalries as lawmakers feud.
Parliament has already extended its mandate twice because lawmakers were unable to agree on an election law. It last did this in 2014, citing security concerns linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria.
“Short of any surprises, the extension will take place so that the country does not face a political vacuum,” said a Lebanese official.
Security is expected to be tight in downtown Beirut, where parliament is located.
“We are urging Lebanese to hold protests and prevent MPs from meeting,” said prominent activist Marwan Maalouf. “This is unconstitutional.”
Critics accuse Lebanese politicians of using regional upheaval as an excuse to dodge elections.
“This is will be the third time they extend in four years,” said activist Asaad Thebien. “This doesn’t happen in any country in the world.”
Lebanon’s sectarian divisions have been complicated by the regional rivalry between Shiite Iran and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia. The government struggles to make basic decisions and parliament is often paralyzed.
In October of 2016, parliament elected former army commander Michel Aoun as president, ending a 29-month vacuum in a political deal that secured victory for his Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, Iran and Syria.
Lebanon’s Al Akhbar newspaper urged Aoun to step in to prevent unrest when parliament meets on Thursday.
“Intervene to prevent an explosion,” said the newspaper.
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Protests called as Lebanon MPs expected to extend own term
Protests called as Lebanon MPs expected to extend own term
Activists plan new, bigger flotilla to try to bring aid to Gaza
- Activists previously detained by Israel plan new flotilla
- Israeli officials denounce such missions as stunts
JOHANNESBURG: Activists behind a flotilla intercepted at sea last year by Israel while trying to bring aid to Gaza will try again this year, expecting more than twice as many boats carrying up to 1,000 medics, they said on Thursday.
The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.
Organizers, who gathered on Wednesday at the foundation of late South African leader Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, said they hope to bring 100 boats for their next attempt.
“It is a cause ... for those that want to rise and stand for justice and dignity for all,” Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, who was among activists detained last time, told the gathering. “We want to mobilize the ... global community to join forces with us.”
Israeli officials repeatedly denounced last year’s mission, and previous smaller-scale attempts to reach Gaza by sea, as publicity stunts.
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October which included guarantees of increased aid.
Following the ceasefire, Israeli forces now control more than 53 percent of the Gaza Strip where they have ordered residents out. Nearly the entire population is crowded into a narrow strip along the coast, mostly living in makeshift tents and damaged buildings.
If the flotilla is blocked again, the activists said it would still be worth it to highlight Gaza’s plight.
“We may not have reached Gaza physically (but) we have reached ... the people in Gaza,” said one of the activists, Susan Abdallah. “They know that we care, that we will not stop at anything until we actually break the siege.”
The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.
Organizers, who gathered on Wednesday at the foundation of late South African leader Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, said they hope to bring 100 boats for their next attempt.
“It is a cause ... for those that want to rise and stand for justice and dignity for all,” Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, who was among activists detained last time, told the gathering. “We want to mobilize the ... global community to join forces with us.”
Israeli officials repeatedly denounced last year’s mission, and previous smaller-scale attempts to reach Gaza by sea, as publicity stunts.
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October which included guarantees of increased aid.
Following the ceasefire, Israeli forces now control more than 53 percent of the Gaza Strip where they have ordered residents out. Nearly the entire population is crowded into a narrow strip along the coast, mostly living in makeshift tents and damaged buildings.
If the flotilla is blocked again, the activists said it would still be worth it to highlight Gaza’s plight.
“We may not have reached Gaza physically (but) we have reached ... the people in Gaza,” said one of the activists, Susan Abdallah. “They know that we care, that we will not stop at anything until we actually break the siege.”
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