In Lebanon, which is experiencing an economic and political crisis, where they will vote for a new parliament in May, the election campaign of the Ukrainian-French businessman Omar Arfush, whose headquarters was headed by his brother, the well-known Ukrainian TV manager Walid Arfush, is gaining momentum.
Omar Arfoush, who aims to lead Lebanon as prime minister after the elections, officially introduced his political party, Third Republic, at the founding conference in Beirut.
The occasion was broadcast on the Lebanese channel MTV and was attended by prominent European figures including French Senator Nathalie Goulet, well-known anti-corruption advocate, French lawyer William Bourdon, Chairman of the EU Military Committee General Claudio Graziano, President of the Mayors of European cities Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella, Euronews President Michael Peters, British lawyer and member of the House of Lords, Baron Kenneth MacDonald, Italian judge, and Deputy Prosecutor of the Rome Court of Appeal Simonetta Matone, among others.
“Arfoush has a strong agenda to combat the corruption of the ruling elite that has brought Lebanon to its knees, to recover stolen assets, and to establish new relations with the Gulf states,” Goulet stated.
General Graziano also expressed his support for Omar Arfush.
“Graziano pledges assistance to Lebanon if the Third Republic is successful. It is rare for a military leader to participate in a political event at this level. Lawyer Bourdon strongly criticized the current Lebanese politicians, labeling them as a mafia. He is the founder of the Sherpa legal organization, which seizes the assets of dictators and corrupt officials worldwide. Alongside the French financial tribunal, they have seized money in banks, cars, and houses in African countries, selling them at auction,” Harfoush told Strana.
Omar Arfush officially founded his political party, the Third Republic, in Beirut
Arfush's “Revival of Lebanon” program includes rejecting the distribution of political posts based on religious and ethnic factors (currently they are allocated between Christians and Muslims according to quotas), directly electing the president (currently chosen by parliament), and recovering funds stolen by the Lebanese elite.
Arfoush claims to have the support of the Lebanese youth, who took to the streets in October 2019 demanding a change from the entrenched elites.
The participants of the “October Revolution” plan to collaborate with Arfoush to form a government of “technocrats,” combat corruption, and implement significant economic reforms in Lebanon. According to the World Bank, over half of the country's population live below the poverty line, and the steep decline in the purchasing power of the local currency has severely impacted the majority of workers and employees.
Arfoush plans to establish a Supreme Court of Lebanon to address corruption among judges, as well as an independent police force and a High Council for Transparency, which will oversee new officials, revoke their status, and prosecute them if proven guilty.
Omar Arfush's election posters are widespread across Lebanon
