Charbel Nahas
Charbel Nahas | |
---|---|
Leader of Citizens in a State | |
Assumed office 24 March 2016 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Minister of Labour | |
In office 13 June 2011 – February 2012 | |
Prime Minister | Najib Mikati |
Preceded by | Boutros Harb |
Succeeded by | Salim Jreissati |
Minister of Telecommunications | |
In office 9 November 2009 – 13 June 2011 | |
Prime Minister | Saad Hariri |
Preceded by | Gebran Bassil |
Succeeded by | Nicolas Sehnaoui |
Personal details | |
Born | Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées | 16 August 1954
Website | charbelnahas |
Charbel Nahas (
Nahas served as labour minister in
Early life and education
Charbel Nahas was born in Beirut on 16 August 1954 into a
Professional career
Academic career
Nahas was a professor at the
Other
Nahas is a leading
Political career
Minister of Telecommunications
In November 2009, Nahas was appointed minister of telecommunications in the
In November 2009, Nahas was appointed to the committee responsible for drafting the new government's policy statement. In the committee's first meeting, he called for Lebanon's economic system to be reformed, saying that "it is outdated. The
As minister of telecommunications, Nahas set as one of his goals to modernise the
Minister of Labour
In June 2011, Nahas was appointed Lebanese minister of labour in the
Nahas put together a reform package during the fall of 2011, which had as its objective to ensure periodic adjustment of wages, in accordance with the legislation that is already in force, to redistribute revenue from rentier to productive services (by increasing taxes on real estate transactions), and to reinvigorate the role of the unions. Nahas' proposal included creating the basis for universal health care in Lebanon. That package was rejected by the Council of Ministries, a majority of which voted in favor of a plan put forward by Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Determined to see his plan come to fruition, Nahas referred the government's decision to the Lebanese Shoura Council, an administrative court, with a view to examining the decision's legality. The Council found in October 2011 that the government's decision was illegal given that it was not based on existing legislation. In December 2011, Nahas put forth his proposal to the Council of Ministries again, but Mikati once again put forth a proposal of his own. Even though Nahas won the vote this time, the Shoura Council rejected his proposal as it did Mikati's earlier proposal, on the grounds that as a Labour minister Nahas had no legal right to add transportation expenses to the minimum wage. Lebanon's General Labour Confederation threatened to organise its largest strike in history in reaction to the government's decision.[15]
In January 2012, the Council of Ministries approved two separate decrees relating to wage increases, over Nahas' objections. The first provided for a modest increase in the actual minimum wage, and the second reconfirmed the transportation allowance. Nahas refused to sign the second decree on the basis that it was in violation of the law and amounted to theft of workers' pension rights. In response, Prime Minister Mikati announced that he would refrain from calling the Council of Ministries into session until the second decree was signed. After significant pressure, including from his own political bloc, to sign the decree, Nahas opted to resign on 21 February 2012 rather than sign the decree.[16] On 24 February 2012, Salim Jreissati, another nomination by Aoun, replaced him as labor minister.[17]
Citizens in a State
In 2016, Nahas led the establishment of Citizens in a State, a new political party which has as its objective to establish a civil, non-sectarian state in Lebanon.[18] He is currently its Secretary General. Since the 2019 popular uprising, Nahas and Citizens in a State have been leading organised political action against Lebanon's current ruling elite.[19]
MP candidacy
In the 2018 Lebanese general election, Nahas ran for the catholic seat in Mount Lebanon II - Metn district but lost to the FPM candidate Edy Maalouf.
In the 2022 Lebanese general election, Nahas ran for the catholic seat in Beirut I - Achrafieh but lost to the FPM candidate Nicolas Sehnaoui.[20]
Selected bibliography
- Nahas, Charbel (1999). حظوظ اجتناب الأزمة وشروط تخطيها، سيرة تجربة في الإصلاح. Beirut, Lebanon: Neel wa Furat.
- Nahas, Charbel (2006). A socioeconomic programme for Lebanon. Beirut, Lebanon: The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. ISBN 1-886604-59-2.
- Nahas, Charbel (2019). "Speech: Alternatives to a defunct regime". Beirut, Lebanon: Citizens in a State.
- Nahas, Charbel (2020). "Article: Crise, choix et priorités". Beirut, Lebanon: Commerce du Levant.
References
- ^ "Mouwatinoun wa mouwatinat fi dawla". Mouwatinoun wa mouwatinat fi dawla. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "Minister Sharbil Nahhas". The Angry Arab News Service. 24 November 2010. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Dr. Charbel Nahas". Charbel Nahas. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ a b "A socioeconomic program for Lebanon". Charbel Nahas. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Biography". Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ Habib, Osama (13 November 2009). "Public debt, economy priorities for Cabinet". The Daily Star. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Lebanese ministers united behind privatization plans". The Daily Star. 12 December 2009.
- ^ "Nahhas says broadband access to cover at least 90% of Lebanon". NOW Lebanon. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012.
- ^ "Le "Yes we can" de Nahas, un appel vibrant à une révision de la politique économique". L'Orient Le Jour. 27 May 2010.
- ^ "Cabinet approves first budget in five years". The Daily Star. 18 June 2010.
- ^ "Coup-Coup in Lebanon: Minister Baroud Resigns Over Telecoms-ISF Showdown". Qifa Nabki. 27 May 2011.
- ^ "Lebanon has slowest internet in the world". The Daily Star. 9 March 2011.
- ^ "Last Month – January: Lebanon edition". Executive. 5 February 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011.
- ^ "Labor Reform in Lebanon: Wagging the Minimum Wage?". Al Akhbar. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ "GLC to set date for nationwide strike". The Daily Star. 10 December 2011.
- ^ "Nahas's resignation: The system defeats reform". Assafir. 22 February 2012.
- ^ "Jreissati appointed new labor minister". The Daily Star. Beirut. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Citizens within a state: About us".
- ^ "بالعربيةConversations from the Lebanese uprising | Ahmad El Assi: The movement is an opportunity to end the civil war".
- ^ "MMFD: Where did it all go wrong?".
External links
- Media related to Charbel Nahas at Wikimedia Commons