Author: Jad Chaaban

The national currency needs to be prevented from total collapse, and this needs to be done in a pragmatic and gradual approach with a clear bias towards protecting the interests of the majority of the population against the predatory behavior of the ruling cartel.

People have waited for too long to give additional chances for those in power to accept piecemeal and sequential reforms. Their economic welfare is no longer separable from their political dignity, especially when insults to their lives –and their intelligence– are perpetrated on a daily basis.

The Central Bank and the Association of Banks have a major historical responsibility to protect depositors and provide transparent regulations going forward.

The ruling class, which has been in power for almost 30 years, is collectively responsible for the economy’s dire state of affairs. It should bear the costs of reforms and spare ordinary citizens.

The anxiety created around a Greek-style national bankruptcy has allowed the ruling politicians and their allies to steer (again) the public debate towards a “crisis management” rhetoric, away from a real discussion on accountability and responsibility for what got us into this.

Many independent or so-called “civil society” lists had high expectations that the new proportional law could help them get some seats.

The last time I voted in Parliamentary elections was in 2005, thirteen years ago. I.

The term “civil society” has been used to describe those who are “active” outside the traditional societal organizations and within oppositional movements against other parts of society, mainly against state authorities.

The people of this region are caught in a grand authoritarian bargain, where they are forced to trade their political rights against government-driven economic security. It is time for this to change.

The resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday, out of Saudi Arabia and aired.