The discussion of the leaked budget begins at 12:28.

What to do when an hour before you hit record on your episode about austerity measures a copy of the 2019 budget is leaked? Ben and Nizar threw out their notes and got to analyzing what the leaked budget tells us, including ten mysterious missing pages, and the surprising lack of hard-core austerity measures.

**Corrections: When discussing the budget deficit, we said it was close to 40 percent of revenues, we meant to say close to 50 percent. Our comparison between the tax of a hypothetical startup and a bank, meanwhile, is actually higher, at 8 percent not 7 percent. Forgive us it was a mad rush to remake the episode.**

This week was also heavily on Hezbollah news, including a speech by Nasrallah denying he warned against a surprise Israeli attack this summer, the US offering $10 million for information on Hezbollah’s finances, the US sanctioning two individuals and three companies for alleged Hezbollah links, the defense minister Elias Bou Saab facing criticism for saying the Lebanese army alone cannot defend the country against Israel, UNIFIL announcing they found a third tunnel that crosses the Blue Line, and Nawwaf Musawi returning to his duties as an MP.

Also discussed in the forty-fourth episode of TLPP: Lebanon’s had its wettest winter since 2002-2003, Aoun releasing the 2017 municipal funding, Dima Jamali’s interview with OTV, and a joint Amnesty International and Anti-Racism Movement report highlighting the plight of domestic workers under the kafala system in Lebanon.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on Fouad Chehab begins at 10:06.

In the fourth edition of our historical figures’ series, Nizar and Ben analyze the life and legacy of Fouad Chehab, the army commander turned Lebanese president, who in his presidency from 1958 to 1964 enacted a reform agenda that transformed the Lebanese state.

A romanticized figure, famous for his state-building agenda, the Lebanese view of Fouad Chehab says more about the modern-day state of the country than how it was in the 1950s/60s.

For more see:

- Fawwaz Traboulsi - "A History of Modern Lebanon" (pp 138 - 155)

- William Harris - "Lebanon: A History, 600-2011"

- Chehabism by The Fouad Chehab Foundation http://www.fouadchehab.org/chehabism/

Also discussed on the forty-third episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: it’s Lebanon’s first of two Easters, the results of the Tripoli election, austerity and protests, and a clarification that Pompeo did in fact speak to some press, but it wasn’t pretty.

**Correction** When discussing Raymond Eddé we referred to the "constitutional" bloc when we meant to say "national" bloc. TLPP apologizes for the mix up.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on Tripoli politics begins at 17:22.

We recorded this before the election so if Dima Jamali is not the new Tripoli MP then you can enjoy this episode for the comedy value…

Ben and Nizar look at the Tripoli by-election by analysing the main players in Tripoli politics, the Rifi-Future rift, 2016’s protest vote, 2018’s return to establishment politics, and why the outcome of Sunday’s by-election seems inevitable.

Also discussed in the forty-second episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: it’s our one year anniversary(!), the electricity plan is passed, cabinet talks austerity measures, Lebanon and Cyprus discuss oil & gas agreements, Germanos sues the ISF information branch, Nasrallah responds to the US designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation, and those close to Amal seek to quash rumors of possible sanctions.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

A departure from our usual format, episode 41 has Ben and Nizar analyze the biggest news of this past week - the new electricity plan - with the help of energy expert and academy associate at Chatham House think tank Jessica Obeid.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on Amal starts at 15:18.

The second in our party profiles series, Ben and Nizar look into the founding of the Amal Movement, from Musa al-Sadr's arrival in Lebanon in 1959 to one of the biggest questions in Lebanese politics today - What will happen to Amal post Nabih Berri?

Also discussed in Episode 40 of TLPP: a landmark decision by the Military Tribunal gives hope to LGBTQ rights in the country, Aoun's travels in Russia and Tunisia, Russia's tactics toward Lebanon, Hezbollah's response to Pompeo, yet another electricity crisis, the upcoming Tripoli by-election, and cabinet's need to secure reforms in exchange for CEDRE funding.

Referenced in the show:

- The Vanished Imam: Musa al Sadr and the Shia of Lebanon by Fouad Ajami

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJBuuYHL7fc&feature=youtu.be (Editor's note: TLPP does not endorse the title of this video nor its comments, it is referenced purely for its content)

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on Pompeo’s visit begins at 15:04.

In this episode, Nizar and Ben analyze (ok rant about) the recent visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Lebanon, in which he gave a tone-deaf speech about Lebanon and Hezbollah, and avoided any press questions.

Also discussed on the thirty-ninth episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: Lebanon loses a much beloved figure, Oscar, the social media savvy dog of Walid Jumblatt who passed away this week, the Syrian war enters its ninth year and a new phase, the latest on the Tripoli by-election, Paula Yacoubian hits back against smear attacks, and cabinet discusses a plan to fix Lebanon’s electricity woes.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on Kamal Jumblatt begins at 13:39.

In the third edition of our historical figures’ series, Nizar and Ben analyze the life and legacy of Kamal Jumblatt, the prominent Druze politician who was assassinated 42 years ago on March 16, 1977. An intellectual man of principle or an idealist who failed to grasp the political realities to the detriment of the entire country? How Kamal Jumblatt’s legacy is viewed is very much dependent on the political leanings of the viewer.

For more see:

- Chapter 10 and 11 in Fawwaz Traboulsi's book "A History of Modern Lebanon" (2007).

- Nasr, Salim (1978). "Backdrop to Civil War: The Crisis of Lebanese Capitalism" - paper discussing the material reality that fueled the 1975 - 1990 civil war.

- Investigative documentary(Arabic)by Al-Jazeera on Jumblatt's assassination. https://youtu.be/ck6MogN_J28

- Video of Walid Jumblatt meeting late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad shortly after his father Kamal's assassination (which Assad has been accused of ordering). youtube.com/watch?v=dvJp-QQ8x1Q

Also discussed on the thirty-eighth episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: Nasrallah asks for donations as a result of the latest US sanctions; director-general of the finance ministry, Alain Bifani, hits back at Sinora; Khalil announces the audits for 1993-2017 are with the Court of Audit; Parliament gets to work ratifying the Paris agreement, rolling over Eurobonds, extending the 1/12 rule to May, and authorizing a treasury advance to EDL; and Paula Yacoubian causes multiple stirs with her allegations against Nader Hariri and being dropped from Sabaa.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on criminal justice begins at 17:34.

This week Nizar and Ben are joined by Ghida Frangieh, the president of Legal Agenda to discuss the Lebanese criminal justice system—how the system is meant to work in theory, how it works in practice, and what challenges it faces in terms of resources, judicial independence, detention, and institutional biases.

Also discussed on the thirty-seventh episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: the UK decision to ban Hezbollah in its entirety, a landmark ruling in the LBCI case, an anti-corruption push on the back of state hiring and Fadlallah submitting files on the missing billions, and cabinet getting to work.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on LGBTQ rights begins at 20:40.

This week Nizar and Ben are joined by Youmna Makhlouf, a lawyer with Legal Agenda and Tarek Zeidan, the executive directer of Helem, a Lebanese LGBTQ rights organization, to discuss legal rights, Lebanese social attitudes, and the activism of the Lebanese LGBTQ community. Among the topics covered are controversial article 534, Legal Agenda's successes in the courts, how trans Lebanese bear the brunt of discrimination, and data that showing that attitudes are beginning to change.

Also discussed on the thirty-sixth episode of TLPP: Parliament votes to give cabinet confidence, while debates in the chamber get personal, the results of the election appeals are in with a by-election called for Tripoli, and the new interior minister's comments resurrect the debate on civil marriage.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on Rafiq Hariri begins at 12:50.

Our second episode on historical figures important to Lebanon investigates the life and legacy of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Hariri, father to the current prime minister, came from humble beginnings in Saida before emigrating to Saudi to make his fortune. He was instrumental to the agreement that ended Lebanon’s civil war before serving as prime minster from 1992-1998 and 2000-2004. His assassination on February 14, 2005 shook the nation and shaped the politics of what was to come, including the withdrawal of Syria from the country. Known as Mr Lebanon, Ben and Nizar look into the complex legacy of the man who on his death became untouchable to most Lebanese.

Also on the thirty-fifth episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast, a horrific case of self-immolation over a school fee dispute, the political bickering between Jumblatt and Hariri, and how our newest ministers have begun to make their mark.

For more on Rafiq Hariri see:

- Dibeh, G. (2005): The Political Economy of Post-war reconstruction in Lebanon

- Blanford, N. (2006): Killing Mr Lebanon

- Baumann, H. (2016): Citizen Hariri

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel