Author: Unknown
Published on: 30/01/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
On 9 January this year, the Lebanese parliament formally elected Joseph Aoun as president. He succeeded Michael — no relation — who left office in October 2022. His father René served as president in 1989 for just 17 days before he was assassinated with a 250kg car bomb. Moawad says his father’s murder played a pivotal role in my decision to come back to the country. He says Harakat al-Istiqlal is a politically syncretic entity. The Cedar Revolution succeeded in kicking Syrian forces out of Lebanon. Hezbollah has been a powerful force in the Lebanese parliament, with 15 of 128 seats. The parliament is elected according to the “confessional” quota system. According to tradition, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim. Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into the Israeli-occupied Sheba’a Farms region on the Lebanese border. Over the subsequent 15 months, the conflict intensified, with Israel invading southern Lebanon and launching unprecedented airstrikes on parts of central Beirut. The ensuing war has decimated much of Hez Bollah’s leadership and military capacity. Lebanese pound has slid from 1,600 against the Euro to more than 93,000. Since January 2023, the stalemate has soared from 1 600 against the euro. The cost of rebuilding after the latest war is about $10 billion (€9.6 bn) “We have a state budget, overall budget, of $3 billion (€2.9 bn)”, Moawad says. The future of Lebanon is about more than just one sect. It’s a monumental and daunting challenge, but one and allies seem determined to pursue.
Original: 1565 words
Summary: 280 words
Percent reduction: 82.11%