Palestinian PM Says Government Ready to Hold Elections
Arab World
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. (AFP)
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that the government was ready to hold general elections as soon as a presidential decree was issued on the matter. Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah, Shtayyeh said President Mahmoud Abbas will ask the president of the Central Election Commission, Hanna Nasser, to go to the Gaza Strip to begin consultation on elections. He added that a ministerial delegation is going to travel to Cairo to discuss economic cooperation. Shtayyeh also thanked Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria and Qatar for their support for the Palestinian people and the $50 million support provided by Al-Aqsa and Al-Quds Funds during its 76th annual meeting held Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to implement development projects in Palestine. Shtayyeh’s declaration about his government's readiness for polls follows another announcement by the central electoral commission saying it was technically ready to hold general elections in the Palestinian territories, excluding Jerusalem. Abbas, in his speech at the UN General Assembly last week, had reaffirmed that he will call for general elections to be held in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. But Jerusalem is likely to be dropped because Israeli authorities will not allow voters there to participate in elections held by the Palestinian Authority. “Holding elections is not a new proposal…the idea was put forward dozens of times, and during the last period, it was discussed with Egypt which will mediate it to all factions, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip,” Fatah deputy chief Mahmoud al-Aloul said. “The issue is very important in this period, especially because it has to do with the reconciliation, which has reached a stalemate,” he added. Shtayyeh, for his part, said: “If we cannot reach reconciliation, then we need to go back to the Palestinian people to restore democracy to the Palestinian institution and to make the Palestinian people the judge in any dispute.”
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926466/palestinian-pm-says-government-ready-hold-elections
Libya: Sarraj Adheres to Skhirat, Urges Haftar for Immediate Pullout
Arab World
Cairo – Khalid Mahmoud
Fighters loyal to the Government of National Accord, south of Tripoli (File photo / AFP)
The Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj has identified what it called “essential principles” for the success of international efforts, including a possible meeting in Germany, to resolve Libya’s crisis. In a statement, Sarraj's government said it was pursuing efforts by a number of countries to find a political settlement and a peaceful solution to the crisis, commending Germany's role. He stressed the need to adhere to the Skhirat Agreement signed in 2015. GNA also considered any discussion of a ceasefire to be linked to the unconditional withdrawal of the aggressors, referring to Libyan National Army (LNA) forces stationed south of Tripoli. Sarraj's government stressed that the only political solution is through the UN plan, which stipulated holding a unifying national conference, which was scheduled to be held last April, but was undermined by the offensive launched by the LNA to take over Tripoli and the "attempted coup against legitimacy," said the government. It stressed that Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) is the only legitimate institution and under its direct supervision, as stated in the relevant Security Council resolutions. GNA was referring to the procedures for the establishment of an independent oil institution in eastern Libya. GNA called upon all countries concerned with Libyan affairs to participate in international conferences and meetings looking for a political solution to the crisis, without excluding any party. Germany is preparing for an upcoming meeting in Berlin, which is expected to be held in the next few weeks with the support of the UN to discuss opportunities for a settlement in Libya. Meanwhile, the LNA, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced the downing of a Turkish drone, the 25th to be brought down since it launched its offensive to liberate Tripoli about five months ago. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned the threats members of an armed group issued against the Ministry of Finance. “This deplorable act constitutes a serious blow to the rule of law,” according to UNSMIL’s statement. The Mission expressed its full support to the competent authorities’ decision to identify and prosecute the perpetrators and reiterated it was ready to provide all necessary support to state institutions and officials in their quest to serve the Libyan people through the full implementation of the rule of law. The media center of the National Army's “Dignity Operations” room said that LNA forces downed the 25th Turkish drone in Tarhuna while trying to target army troops sites. The Army did not reveal any additional information, but a military source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the downing of the Turkish drone came within the framework of confronting Turkey’s military role in supporting militias loyal to Sarraj’s government. Special Representative of UN Secretary-General (SRGC) Ghassan Salame said Libya is “possibly the largest drone war theater in the world.” In a video released by the United Nations on Wednesday, Salame noted “a much more intense use of drones” in recent weeks, saying they had been deployed “600 times on one side and 300 times on the other side,” without clarifying the sides to which he was referring.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926436/libya-sarraj-adheres-skhirat-urges-haftar-immediate-pullout
Aboul Gheit to Asharq Al-Awsat: Aramco Attacks Investigation Will Uncover Complete Truth
Interviews
New York - Ali Barada
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his “full confidence” that the “moment of truth is coming very soon” in the ongoing investigation into the attacks against oil installations in Saudi Arabia. He noted that the investigations would “accurately determine” the party behind the attacks, and the identity of those who fired missiles and drones. “Then, the move will take place in all influential institutions,” including the Security Council, Aboul Gheit told Asharq Al-Awsat in an exclusive interview. While he praised the “great wisdom” of the Saudi leadership, he accused the Iranian regime of still seeking to export its revolution and called for curbing the Iranian behavior in the region. “No state has the right to move against another in these illegal methods… I am not saying that Iran fired missiles and drones. I wait for the report. But I have indications that these weapons were made in Iran,” the Arab League secretary-general emphasized. He continued: “Modern observation in military science through new technologies fully provides the facts about the firing, bombing and destruction… I am quite sure that we will reach a conclusion, as my confidence in the ability of a forensic doctor to determine the cause of the death of someone in an accident.” Aboul Gheit noted that when the report is revealed, the appropriate action will then be taken, whether in the Security Council, in the General Assembly, in the League of Arab States or in all influential institutions. “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the General Assembly that this is a fabricated story. I do not see it at all fabricated. There is certainly damage to Saudi Arabia and bombings with highly advanced tools of destruction,” he underlined. He accused Iran of trying to promote its revolution since 1979. He said that Tehran was responsible for pushing Lebanon’s Hezbollah to clash with Israel in 2006, adding that Iran should not be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia or the Gulf. Asked about an Arab strategy to confront Iranian influence in Lebanon, Aboul Gheit replied: “The issue in Lebanon is very complex, and the intra-Lebanese balance sometimes imposes on the Arab parties a certain situation, because the Arabs do not want to see a clash on Lebanese territory that either repeats the experience of the 1975- 1976 civil war, or reinstates the 2008 experience when Beirut fell in the grip of one party [Hezbollah].” “Hezbollah is also part of the Lebanese government. I do not want to touch on such a sensitive issue, because this is something that concerns the Lebanese in their relationship with the party,” he added. On whether the Arab League was about to reopen its doors to Syria, Aboul Gheit said: “Not yet. The Arab collective will has not yet reached the moment to say that we have no problem with governance in Syria.” “There is an internal Syrian conflict,” he noted. “A regime that describes groups as terrorist, and an opposition that says this regime applies a philosophy that we do not accept. There are mutual accusations.” Aboul Gheit went on to say: “When the people of Syria, both in the opposition and government, reach a form of internal consensus on the basis of a new or amended constitution… when things settle down, and a new Syria takes shape, I imagine it returning to its Arab League seat. One important thing is that the new Syria will not be thrown into the arms of Iran. This is a key Arab condition in order to allow Syria to return to the League.” When asked about any silver lining in the Palestinian file, he answered: “The current situation does not indicate this, because there is a US government that is completely biased to Israel.” He stressed that Israel was seeking to put an end to discussions over important and vital issues, such as Jerusalem, the refugees and the Golan Heights. “At the moment, I am not optimistic about the prospects for a serious move, especially since Israelis also mistakenly imagine that they have succeeded in extending their hands through the Palestinians to the Arab countries. This is not true… and won’t happen,” he remarked. He stressed that those who think that the Arabs would abandon the Palestinian cause were mistaken. “The Arabs are committed to supporting the Palestinians. They cannot accept that Israel dominate historic Palestine and abolish the rights of the Palestinians. This will not happen,” Aboul Gheit concluded.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926416/aboul-gheit-asharq-al-awsat-aramco-attacks-investigation-will-uncover-complete
Uefa’s Europa Conference League Likely Only to Keep Big Fish Happy
Sports
London - Barry Glendenning
The Europa Conference League will serve as a third-tier Uefa club competition and give more clubs in more countries a chance to participate in Europe. (EPA)
Caving in to apparently nonexistent demands for a competition football fans were unaware they needed, European football’s governing body has announced a new wheeze due to kick off in 2021. The Europa Conference League will serve as a third-tier Uefa club competition and give more clubs in more countries a chance to participate in Europe. At least that was the party line when the tournament was unveiled by Uefa’s president, Aleksander Ceferin, at the organization's executive committee meeting in Ljubljana last week, although cynics might be excused for thinking it is little more than a sop to keep European football’s also-rans happy while ensuring the wealthiest clubs continue to qualify for the Champions League. Confirmed last December and ratified last week, the Europa Conference League will sit below the Champions League and Europa League in the hierarchy and will comprise 32 teams split into eight groups of four. Group winners will progress to the last 16, and an additional knockout round will be played before the last 16 between the second-placed teams and eight teams who drop from the Europa League. The winners of the Europa Conference League will enter the following season’s Europa League. Matches will be played on Thursday with kick-offs at 5.45pm and 8pm UK time. It will be left to national associations to decide the criteria for earning a place, with England, Spain, France, Italy and Germany getting one each. England’s will go to the winners of next season’s Carabao Cup, but if that team end up qualifying for Europe by other means, as Manchester City did last season, the recipients of the Europa Conference League will be determined by league position. In a move that could have serious ramifications for Scottish clubs, Uefa has announced that the Europa League group stages are being reduced from 48 teams to 32 from 2021. From that point, only nations ranked 15th or higher in Uefa’s coefficient table will be granted access to the Europa League. The league winners of countries with a lesser ranking will still enter Champions League qualifying but seem likely to go into the Europa Conference League should they fail to make the group stages. It should be stressed that the finer details regarding qualification have yet to be decided. The Scottish Premiership winners currently enter the Champions League qualifying rounds, while the teams that finish second, third and fourth compete in Europa League qualifying. Scotland are 19th in Uefa’s coefficients, meaning all but the champions would automatically go into the new competition and presumably suffer financial consequences. Should Scotland improve their ranking to 15th place or higher, they could have as many as five representatives in Europe: two in Champions League qualifying and three elsewhere. In England much has been made of the Premier League travails being endured by Wolves. Despite Nuno Espírito Santo’s pre-season assurances that his squad would be well equipped to maintain the league form that earned them qualification for this season’s Europa League, all available evidence suggests escapades on the continent are having a predictably adverse effect on results at home. In recent years teams from outside the Premier League’s Big Six have suffered on the domestic front after clambering aboard the Thursday-Sunday Europa League treadmill. Between them, Burnley (14), Everton (12), Southampton (17) and West Ham (17) acquired 60 points fewer in the seasons immediately following European qualification. It does not take a genius to figure out why. Qualifying for Europe’s second-tier competition tends to hamstring any chance such clubs have of kicking on and qualifying for its main one. It is, one suspects, a state of affairs Uefa and those clubs at the top of the Premier League hierarchy find entirely agreeable in their insatiable quest for wealth. Wolves fans should enjoy their foray into Europe but are entitled to view it as the distraction that will end any chance of gatecrashing the Premier League’s top-four party in a season when the places of Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea seem under threat. The Europa Conference League will further jeopardize any small chance that ambitious middle-ranking top-flight teams from Europe’s major leagues have of getting into Uefa’s blue-riband event. Although this new competition will ensure more clubs than ever get to muddy their spats in European competition, it seems abundantly clear it will tighten the stranglehold of those rich grandees from the English, Spanish, French, Italian and German leagues who consider their place among the continental elite not so much a privilege as a divine and inalienable right. The Guardian Sport
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926411/uefa%E2%80%99s-europa-conference-league-likely-only-keep-big-fish-happy
Syrian Regime Launches Campaign Against Businessmen to Back the Lira
Arab World
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat
A currency exchange shop in Syria's Azaz. Reuters file photo
The Syrian regime is forcing entrepreneurs and businessmen to pay millions of US dollars to the Central Bank to save the country from bankruptcy. A meeting held at the Sheraton Hotel in Damascus on Saturday was attended by Syria’s Central Bank Governor Hazem Karfoul, and businessmen Samer Foz, Mohammad Hamsho, Waseem al-Qattan, brothers Hossam and Bara’ al-Katerji, in addition to Ghassan al-Qala'a, chairman of Damascus Chamber of Commerce. It aimed to discuss an initiative announced by the businessmen to increase the deteriorating value of the Syrian lira to the US dollar. The gathering was held behind closed doors and under strict confidentiality. Later, reports said that Foz had made a 10-million-dollar pledge to support the Syrian lira. Economic experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Central Bank governor is exerting pressure on the businessmen to release funds. Other than Foz, none of them announced following Saturday’s meeting, his intention to secure funds. “The businessmen believe the regime is seeking to take over their assets, despite having amassed their great wealth illegally and under the gaze of the regime,” the experts said. Persons familiar with the meeting told Asharq Al-Awsat that following two hours of closed-door talks, none of the conferees made a statement to the press. On its Facebook page, the Damascus Chamber of Commerce said that participants agreed to deposit money in US dollar, each according to his ability, in an attempt to increase the value of the Syrian pound against the dollar. Early this month, Damascus residents were shocked after the Syrian pound weakened to its lowest level as the pound closed at 691 against the dollar in the streets while it stood at 438 pounds per dollar at the daily benchmark set by the Central Bank. The regime’s campaign against Syrian businessmen started when reports said that head of the Syrian regime, Bashar Assad, ordered measures against companies owned by his cousin, Rami Makhlouf, in Syria. The measures involved action against Makhlouf’s shares in the state-owned Syrian Telecom Company (Syriatel), the country’s biggest mobile phone company.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926396/syrian-regime-launches-campaign-against-businessmen-back-lira
Iraqi Authorities Take Down Top Commander’s Monument in Mosul
Arab World
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi
Lieutenant General Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi. (AP file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s decommissioning of Lieutenant General Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi, who had served as head of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service, continued to reverberate in the country. Baghdad authorities took down a monument in one of Mosul’s cities which had been erected by locals in honor of Saadi’s role in helping defeat ISIS. Locals were barred from unveiling the tribute which was built by sculptor, Omar al-Khafaf and funded by civilian families and activists. Local activists, on Sunday, had decided to unveil the sculpture in protest to Saadi’s dismissal and transfer to the Defense Ministry, but security authorities cordoned off the spot and prevented the event. Being relegated to the sidelines is a “humiliation to my military history,” Saadi had said in an interview with an Iraqi TV channel, after the decision to remove him had angered Iraqis. “Saadi’s monument, around three meters tall, was locally funded and sculpted by Omar al-Khafaf,” civil rights activist Ayman Al-Araji told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that the public was shocked when authorities took it down. “The people of Mosul love Saadi and appreciate his great role in fighting ISIS, so they wanted to honor him. But everyone was very disappointed after the statue was removed and felt helpless and unable to do anything,” Araji added. Araji goes on to explain that the decisions to decommission Saadi and uproot the statue were probably influenced by Iran’s allies in Iraq in order to curb the growing popularity of a non-sectarian military leader. “I wonder why authorities, despite the public’s reservations, allow putting up posters and pictures of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and religious clerics while they take down a monument of a national leader who is treasured by the people,” Araji said in an oblique hint at Tehran’s unfavorable influence in the country. US-based political analyst Hareth Hassan noted that Saadi’s history of mounting tough anti-ISIS operations while retaining humility has molded him into a people's hero.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926371/iraqi-authorities-take-down-top-commander%E2%80%99s-monument-mosul
Algeria Heads Towards Possible 5th Term, without Bouteflika
Arab World
Algiers - Boualem Goumrassa
Demonstrators gesture and shout slogans during a protest against the country's ruling elite and rejecting the Algerian election announcement for December, in Algiers, Algeria September 27, 2019. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina
The presidential election race in Algeria, scheduled for December 12, will witness stiff competition among candidates who were close to former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and had major roles under his rule. If the authorities succeed in carrying out the elections on time, opposition party leaders will be absent for the first time since the first voting in 1995 with multiple candidates. “All opposition parties and figures will be absent from the December 12 elections, which, if organized, will take place in the form of a preliminary competition among candidates,” ex-Minister of Higher Education Abdesselam Ali Rachdi wrote in his Facebook account on Monday. Rachdi was referring to partisan and non-partisan figures belonging to the regime, who announced collecting 50,000 signatures that would allow them to run for the presidency. This event has split Algerians. Some support holding elections under the current circumstances and others reject it. According to opposition figures, the large number of candidates loyal to the former president suggest the country is heading for a “fifth term without Bouteflika,” in a reference to the popular movement that began in February to protest Bouteflika's candidacy for a fifth term. One of the most prominent members of Bouteflika’s regime is former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune, 72, who is linked to the “Khalifa Scandal” in 2003, which is named after businessman Abdelmoumen Khalifa who is in jail on corruption charges. Tebboune was a minister when Khalifa amassed huge wealth. His son, Khaled, has been in prison for 18 months for his involvement in a real estate corruption case. Tebboune is known to be the army leadership’s candidate for the elections despite the categorical denials made by Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmed Gaed Salah. “The gang and its acolytes try to spread the idea that the army will support one of the candidates for the next presidential election,” said Gaed Salah on Sunday. “This is a propaganda and its purpose is to disrupt the election.” Former Minister of the National Community Abroad Belkacem Sahli is another candidate who defended the “right to participate in building my country’s future.” Sahli, 48, supported Bouteflika and wanted him to run for a fifth term before being toppled in April. He is also the head of a small party, the National Republican Alliance.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1926366/algeria-heads-towards-possible-5th-term-without-bouteflika
