Saad Hariri Commemorates Father’s Assassination, Surrounded by Thousands of Supporters

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saad Hariri Commemorates Father’s Assassination, Surrounded by Thousands of Supporters

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri pays tribute to his late father, in downtown Beirut, on Monday. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri commemorated on Tuesday the eighteenth anniversary of the assassination of his father, late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, refraining from giving a speech before thousands of supporters, so as not to give the occasion a political dimension.

Hariri, who landed on Sunday evening in Beirut a year after withdrawing from the political scene, abstained from fulfilling the desire of his supporters, who were eager to hear words that outline the features of the next stage and determine the date of his return to Lebanon’s political life.

However, the heavy crowd present at the commemoration conveyed a significant message, which confirmed that the former premier still enjoyed a wide popular base, mainly among the Sunnis.

Hariri arrived at Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut, at 12.45 in the afternoon on Tuesday, amid tight security measures imposed by the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces.

He made his way through thousands of people, who gathered to greet him, before reaching the gravesite of his father and his companions, who died in the bombing of February 14, 2005.

Hariri greeted the crowd without a word. His silent presence seemed expressive, as if it were a message to his former allies and opponents.

No sooner had he moved from downtown Beirut to his Center House residence, than hundreds were waiting for him inside the courtyard and in the streets leading to his house.

Hariri saluted them, saying: “I have already told you that this house will remain open, and God willing, it will remain open with your presence and love…You are the good people who wept for Rafik Hariri, and this house will complete this journey with you...”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, an official of Al-Mustaqbal Movement said that Hariri told his close circles that he would stay in Lebanon “only a few days,” and that he was still reluctant to pursue political work.

For his part, former MP Mohammed al-Hajjar said the former premier’s decision to suspend political activity came after a careful review and reading of his experience in governance.

He added that the circumstances that dictated the suspension of political action still exist, as “the ruling mentality has not changed, and the events that Lebanon is going through prove the correctness of this option.”



Egypt Needs to Import $1.18 Billion in Fuel to End Power Cuts, PM Says

The moon is seen after the day of Strawberry Moon over old houses in Cairo, Egypt, June 22, 2024. (Reuters)
The moon is seen after the day of Strawberry Moon over old houses in Cairo, Egypt, June 22, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Egypt Needs to Import $1.18 Billion in Fuel to End Power Cuts, PM Says

The moon is seen after the day of Strawberry Moon over old houses in Cairo, Egypt, June 22, 2024. (Reuters)
The moon is seen after the day of Strawberry Moon over old houses in Cairo, Egypt, June 22, 2024. (Reuters)

Egypt needs to import around $1.18 billion worth of mazut fuel oil and natural gas to end persistent power cuts exacerbated by consecutive heat waves, its Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a televised address on Tuesday.

It hopes the shipments will arrive in full around the third week of July, by which point the government aims to stop cutting power during the remaining summer months, he added.

It has already started contracting for 300,000 tons of mazut worth $180 million to boost its strategic reserves which are expected to arrive early next week.

Egypt's government on Monday extended daily power cuts to three hours from two hours previously in response to a surge in domestic electricity consumption during the latest heat wave.

These three-hour cuts will continue until the end of June, before returning to two hours in the first half of July with the aim of stopping completely for the rest of the summer, Madbouly said on Tuesday.

Egyptian social media has lit up with complaints about the impact of the blackouts, with some saying they have been forced to purchase private power generators.

The problem has particularly affected teenagers preparing for the crucial high school certificate, with some posting about students studying by candlelight and others in coffee shops.

A wedding hall owner in the coastal city of Port Said said he would turn one of his ballrooms into a study hall.

Since July last year, load shedding linked to falling gas production, rising demand and a shortage of foreign currency has led to scheduled two-hour daily power cuts in most areas.

"We had said that we planned to end load shedding by the end of 2024... we do not have a power generation problem or a network problem, we are unable to provide fuel," Madbouly said on Tuesday.

"With the increase in consumption related to the major development and population increase, there has been a lot of pressure on our dollar resources," he added.

He said production in a neighboring country's gas field had come to a full halt for 12 hours leading to an interruption in the supply, without naming the country or the gas field.

Egypt's Abu Qir Fertilizers said on Tuesday three of its plants had halted production because their supply of natural gas was cut.