Lebanon Elections WEB
Metadata
- Lebanon Elections WEB
- May 11, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: LEBANON ELECTIONS HEADLINE: Saad Hariri’s Withdrawal from Lebanese Politics Fractures Sunni Vote TEASER: A fractured Sunni vote could open the way for more gains for Hezbollah. PUBLISHED AT: 05/11/2022 at 12:55 pm BYLINE: Jacob Russell CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Beirut VIDEOGRAPHER: Jacob Russell PRODUCER: Marcus Harton SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, MAS VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, AP, AFP PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 2:53 VID APPROVED BY: BR TYPE: TVPKG UPDATE: Jacob Russell’s email is Jacob.russell@mac.com, jmrp0990@gmail.com. WhatsApp on +44 7737815990)) ((INTRO)) [[With a few days to go until voting takes place in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, the absence of Sunni political figurehead Saad Hariri and his Future Movement party threatens to splinter the Sunni vote, leaving more space for Hezbollah to move in. For VOA, Jacob Russell reports from Tripoli in Lebanon.]] ((NARRATOR)) Early this year, ex-prime minister Saad Hariri announced his withdrawal from Lebanese politics. Citing the overbearing influence of Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, he also encouraged members of his party, the Future Movement, to do the same in protest. In Lebanon’s deeply sectarian system, Hariri was a consensus leader for Sunni voters and, a few days ahead of elections, his absence threatens to fracture and diminish the Sunni vote. Mustafa Alloush, a former vice president of the Future Movement, was a close advisor to Hariri and is now running as an independent candidate. ((Mustafa Alloush, Candidate - MALE IN ENGLISH)) “No one could understand why he left the whole future movement, his movement, without any guidance and people thought this was an appeal from his side, to boycott the voting process. // What concerns us is how to face the hegemony of Hezbollah, the Iranian presence in Lebanon and say at least, no, with our votes, that we’re not (a) bunch of people that will accept this hegemony.” ((NARRATOR)) As well as running for office, Alloush is one of the last remaining surgeons at a busy hospital in Tripoli, Lebanon’s majority Sunni second city. Tripoli is one of the poorest cities in Lebanon and a place where many remained loyal to Hariri as their protector in the absence of the state. Sarah al Charif runs Ruawwad, a community outreach organization. ((Sarah al Charif, Ruawwad Director - FEMALE IN ENGLISH)) “For the ones that are extremely in need of validation for their, of their identity and of their belonging to a Sunni community, for them voting for Hariri is the answer. // You have those Hariri supporters that are, you know, by blood supporting him. Hariri already said that we're not going to vote in this election, so they're not going to vote in this election.” ((VIDEO: B-ROLL TRIPOLI)) ((NARRATOR)) If this sentiment is widespread amongst Sunni voters across the country on election day, Hariri’s withdrawal might end up making matters worse. ((Mustafa Alloush, Parliamentary Candidate - MALE IN ENGLISH)) “This is what I try to say to all the Sunni communities: don’t withdraw yourself because the others will just take your vote. /// The worst case scenario is that Hezbollah will approach the two-thirds. And in this case, it means that Hezbollah will just do whatever they want concerning Lebanon.” ((NARRATOR)) For al Charif, in the end, the question is yet another illustration of a system that forces voters to consider their sectarian identity over their civic needs. ((Sarah al Charif, Ruawwad Director - FEMALE IN ENGLISH)) ‘It's not about one, the Sunni being fragmented. I mean, it's about a whole country fragmented into pieces.” ((NARRATOR)) With voting due to take place on Sunday, Lebanon may soon see whether the balance of power in their country truly shifts – or whether the stalemate will continue. ((JACOB RUSSELL, FOR VOA NEWS, TRIPOLI, LEBANON))
- Transcript/Script USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: LEBANON ELECTIONS HEADLINE: Saad Hariri’s Withdrawal from Lebanese Politics Fractures Sunni Vote TEASER: A fractured Sunni vote could open the way for more gains for Hezbollah. PUBLISHED AT: 05/11/2022 at 12:55 pm BYLINE: Jacob Russell CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: Beirut VIDEOGRAPHER: Jacob Russell PRODUCER: Marcus Harton SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, MAS VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, AP, AFP PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 2:53 VID APPROVED BY: BR TYPE: TVPKG UPDATE: Jacob Russell’s email is Jacob.russell@mac.com, jmrp0990@gmail.com. WhatsApp on +44 7737815990)) ((INTRO)) [[With a few days to go until voting takes place in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, the absence of Sunni political figurehead Saad Hariri and his Future Movement party threatens to splinter the Sunni vote, leaving more space for Hezbollah to move in. For VOA, Jacob Russell reports from Tripoli in Lebanon.]] ((NARRATOR)) Early this year, ex-prime minister Saad Hariri announced his withdrawal from Lebanese politics. Citing the overbearing influence of Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, he also encouraged members of his party, the Future Movement, to do the same in protest. In Lebanon’s deeply sectarian system, Hariri was a consensus leader for Sunni voters and, a few days ahead of elections, his absence threatens to fracture and diminish the Sunni vote. Mustafa Alloush, a former vice president of the Future Movement, was a close advisor to Hariri and is now running as an independent candidate. ((Mustafa Alloush, Candidate - MALE IN ENGLISH)) “No one could understand why he left the whole future movement, his movement, without any guidance and people thought this was an appeal from his side, to boycott the voting process. // What concerns us is how to face the hegemony of Hezbollah, the Iranian presence in Lebanon and say at least, no, with our votes, that we’re not (a) bunch of people that will accept this hegemony.” ((NARRATOR)) As well as running for office, Alloush is one of the last remaining surgeons at a busy hospital in Tripoli, Lebanon’s majority Sunni second city. Tripoli is one of the poorest cities in Lebanon and a place where many remained loyal to Hariri as their protector in the absence of the state. Sarah al Charif runs Ruawwad, a community outreach organization. ((Sarah al Charif, Ruawwad Director - FEMALE IN ENGLISH)) “For the ones that are extremely in need of validation for their, of their identity and of their belonging to a Sunni community, for them voting for Hariri is the answer. // You have those Hariri supporters that are, you know, by blood supporting him. Hariri already said that we're not going to vote in this election, so they're not going to vote in this election.” ((VIDEO: B-ROLL TRIPOLI)) ((NARRATOR)) If this sentiment is widespread amongst Sunni voters across the country on election day, Hariri’s withdrawal might end up making matters worse. ((Mustafa Alloush, Parliamentary Candidate - MALE IN ENGLISH)) “This is what I try to say to all the Sunni communities: don’t withdraw yourself because the others will just take your vote. /// The worst case scenario is that Hezbollah will approach the two-thirds. And in this case, it means that Hezbollah will just do whatever they want concerning Lebanon.” ((NARRATOR)) For al Charif, in the end, the question is yet another illustration of a system that forces voters to consider their sectarian identity over their civic needs. ((Sarah al Charif, Ruawwad Director - FEMALE IN ENGLISH)) ‘It's not about one, the Sunni being fragmented. I mean, it's about a whole country fragmented into pieces.” ((NARRATOR)) With voting due to take place on Sunday, Lebanon may soon see whether the balance of power in their country truly shifts – or whether the stalemate will continue. ((JACOB RUSSELL, FOR VOA NEWS, TRIPOLI, LEBANON))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date May 11, 2022 12:58 EDT
- Byline Jacob Russell
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America