Lebanon is currently divided due to a political dispute that arose following a government statement on Thursday. The statement announced that the implementation of daylight savings time would be postponed until April 21, following Ramadan ends. This is different from the usual practice of starting daylight savings time at dawn on the Sunday before Ramadan.
The decision caused confusion since Lebanon has been following daylight saving time for many years. Telecommunications companies have had to ask customers to stop automatic time updates on their devices, and Middle East Airlines updated their flight schedules. However, there are still expected complications with electronic devices shifting to daylight saving time.
A video circulating on social media shows Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urging Prime Minister Najib Mikati to postpone the start of summer time until the end of Ramadan. This decision caused a political crisis, especially following the Council of Ministers reversed their decision on the matter.
Lebanon is divided today into two times, due to the political dispute that erupted following a government statement issued Thursday announcing the postponement of the implementation of daylight savings time until next April 21, that is, following the end of Ramadan, instead of starting to apply it at dawn today, Sunday.
And Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper considered that this decision caused technical confusion, since Lebanon has been adopting the application of daylight saving time, an hour apart from winter time, for many years, which forced telecommunications companies to ask their customers to stop the automatic time on their cellular devices, while the Middle East Airlines modified The Lebanese Air Carrier, the schedule of departure and arrival of flights in line with the exceptional Lebanese official time for a month. However, these measures will not prevent the expected confusion as a result of the transition of all electronic devices to daylight saving time, and the difficulty of dealing with the matter technically.
And a video clip spread on social media, showing Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri calling on Prime Minister Najib Mikati, during their meeting Thursday, to postpone working in summer time until the end of the blessed month of Ramadan. It is difficult to make a decision like this, only to have the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers come back and issue a decision to postpone. The spread of this clip sparked a political crisis.
In conclusion, Lebanon’s decision to postpone the implementation of daylight savings time has caused confusion and technical difficulties. The political dispute that erupted as a result of this decision highlights the deep divisions within the country. While some argue that the postponement is necessary to avoid disruptions during Ramadan, others believe it is a political move that will only lead to more chaos. Only time will tell how this situation will unfold, but one thing is clear – Lebanon continues to grapple with political and social challenges that need to be addressed in order to move forward.
