‘Rebels’ take control of union in blow to Lebanese political establishment

An alliance of independent and opposition candidates has won control of one of Lebanon’s largest trade unions, in a rebuke to the country’s established political parties.

The coalition, known as Naqaba Tantafid, or the Order Rebels, won a landslide in a follow-up election for the Syndicate of Engineers and Architects’ presidency and council of order, an executive decision-making body.

It followed a decisive victory in last month’s election for the union’s general assembly.

The opposition won by a landslide. Leader Aref Yassin secured 5,798 votes of the 8,700 cast for the presidency.

Nine other members of the list won election to the council, giving the opposition coalition an overwhelming majority on a 16-seat council.

Taking control of Lebanon’s professional and trade bodies has become a vital tactic for Lebanon’s opposition groups since October 2019.

It allows them to apply political pressure on the government and established parties that operate at a national level.

The Syndicate of Engineers and Architects wields significant power. It must approve all building permits in Lebanon, with the exception of those in the country’s north.

It also has major influence over building regulations and is courted – and dominated – by political groups with interests in the construction sector.

Activists supporting the list told The National that the poll was also a measuring stick of dissatisfaction with the political elite before next year’s parliamentary elections.

“This is the first test since the financial collapse of the last year to really measure the amount of people that are really resisting the current establishment,” said Ziad Abs, an activist with ReLebanon, one of the groups that make up Naqaba Tantafid.

“It’s a message for the establishment themselves, that people are fed up, that people don’t want them any more.”

The election campaign was plagued with accusations of dirty tricks.

Mr Yassin, who is Shiite and from the south, denied allegations that he was Hezbollah’s candidate of choice.

Fraudulent text messages were sent out early on Sunday, an apparent bid to deter turnout, Naqaba Tantafid said.

The Beirut Bar elections of November 2019 were regarded as the first victory over the political classes.

Independent candidate Melhem Khalaf was elected, beating established political parties. There have been similar results in student elections across the country.

Last month, the Naqaba Tantafid list swept the engineering syndicate’s general elections, winning 221 of 283 seats with a record turnout.

Controlling trade bodies allows opposition groups to apply political pressure on the government and established parties