Lebanon: in the middle of a crisis, the Parliament meets and the protest movement manifests

Text by: Paul Khalifeh

The Lebanese Parliament, meeting Tuesday for the first time since the start of the health crisis in Lebanon on February 20, passed a bill presented by the President of the House. The resumption of legislative activity has revived the protest movement. Convoys of protesters roamed the streets of the country's main cities.

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From our correspondent in Beirut,

For this first legislative session since the beginning of the very strict confinement observed in Lebanon, the Parliament has moved. The meeting took place in the vast congress hall of the Unesco Palace in Beirut. The rules of hygiene and social distancing were respected and most of the deputies wore the mask.

The chamber approved a series of laws to strengthen the public health sector, at the forefront of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. But the main text voted on Tuesday evening concerns the legalization of the cultivation of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, without decriminalizing its sale and consumption.

The law was approved despite opposition from Hezbollah, which sees no economic benefit. The text was however presented by its Shiite ally, the president of the Parliament Nabih Berry, who estimates that this culture can bring back tens of millions of dollars at a time when the country is on the verge of economic and financial bankruptcy.

The return of legislative activity after a long hiatus has revitalized the protest movement, which had paused since the introduction of containment. Convoys of dozens of cars crisscrossed the streets of Beirut and other major cities, denouncing the political class and demanding deep political and economic reforms.

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• Lebanon
• Coronavirus
• Drug

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