DAILY SCOPE: Labor Ministry Stops Hariri Theft of Ramlet Al-Bayda, Municipal Elections Heating Up

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS' HEADLINES:

AN-NAHAR:

Beirut's Fever Rising, FPM Will Not Withdraw

20,000 Security, Military Personnel to Secure Elections

AS-SAFIR:

Zahle 2016: Test of Christians and Their Choices

AL-AKHBAR:

Future Party Committed to Skaf List, Hizbullah Will Form its Own List

AL-JOMHOURIA:

Strategic Agreement between UAE, Interpol

AL-BINAA:

48-Hour Truce in Aleppo: Washington between Renewing Truce and Ending It

Lebanese newspapers on Thursday shed light on the municipal elections in Lebanon, especially in the Catholic-dominated city of Zahle located in the Beqaa Valley East of Lebanon, which usually witnesses heated electoral battles.

AS-SAFIR: Zahle Municipal Elections Heating Up

As-Safir newspaper on Thursday touched on the municipal elections taking place in Zahle, pointing out that "the political powers in Zahle are ready for confrontation as the municipal elections are due this Sunday," pointing out that it is being dealt with as if it were an issue of life or death, a psychological war, mutual accusations, heavy showers of rumors and mobilization.

The electoral battle includes three major lists. The brother of Zahle MP Nicolas Fattoush, Musa, announced his candidate list "Zahle Deserves" for the municipal elections. Other groups have already announced their candidate lists including, Popular Bloc leader Myriam Skaff, widow of late Zahle politician Elie Skaff who named her list "Zahle the Integrity."

Also, Former Zahle Mayor Asaad Zogheib has formed an alliance with the Free Patriotic Movement, Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party.

Zahle is the administrative capital and largest city of the Bekaa governorate. It is also the name given to the Zahle district, the Bekaa's central region.

The four-stage municipal elections will start in Beirut and Bekaa-al-Hermel districts on May 8, while the elections in Mount Lebanon will be held on May 15. Elections in south Lebanon and Nabatieh are set for May 22 and north Lebanon and Akkar for May 29.

AL-JOMHOURIA: Sayed Nasrallah to Tackle Municipal Elections, Its Conditions

Hizbullah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah will be tackling the latest political developments in Lebanon, and will majorly discuss the coming municipal elections and its conditions, reported al-Jomhouria newspaper on Thursday.

The newspaper added that during the televised speech he will deliver on Friday, he will urge the people to head to the polls and call upon the Lebanese to seek understanding and cooperation among themselves. Sayed Nasrallah is also expected to make another appearance next week on to commemorate the wounded of the resistance.

AN-NAHAR: Lebanese Government to Convene Today Despite Conflicting Reports

The Lebanese government is set to meet on Thursday afternoon with 165 articles on its agenda, An-Nahar Lebanese daily reported assuring that the conflicting reports on the date of the meeting was due to inconsistencies among ministerial sources.

According to the daily, ministerial sources predicted that the general-directorate of state security issue will once again be a source of dispute among the officials.

The dispute of sectarian nature is on the budget of the agency and disagreements between its director Major General George Qaraa and his deputy Brigadier General Mohammed al-Tufaili.

AL-AKHBAR: Labor Ministry Impedes Hariri Theft of Public Property

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday that the Ministry of Labor and Transportation broke the influence and monopoly of the Hariri family, and impeded its plan to engulf another public property; the Ramlet al-Bayda seaside which is a place for the Lebanese to enjoy summer.

According to sources, the labor Minister Ghazi Zayter, and for the first time made a brave move towards bringing back the property to the public, and stopped the deal in which Beirut municipality was planning to buy the public property and transfer its ownership to the Hariri family.

Ramlet al-Bayda is the only sand beach in Beirut still available to the general public. Prior to the 1920s, the area used to attract swimmers and families who came from almost every corner of Beirut. According to a report published by al-Akhbar newspaper in 2012, up until the 1950s, the people of Beirut would visit Ramlet al-Bayda during "Urbaat Ayoub," or Job's Wednesday, in commemoration of the prophet Job. Legend says that he came to Beirut from Palestine seeking remedies, and spent his time on the beach from Ramlet al-Bayda to Hantous, where Imam Ouzai's shrine is located.

This part of Beirut became a public space because people have used it as a public space throughout history, and was reflected in the urban planning map produced by the French at the end of the 1940s. It showed that the touristic region between the coastal road and the sea is vital to the public.

Source: al-Ahed News