Hello dear readers,
I took this week to rest and recharge after what felt like a marathon. Thank you for your grace and patience — Think with K returns to its regular rhythm (and the Karometer) next week.
But before we move forward, I needed to pause and unpack. Not just what happened on May 18, but what it revealed about how “change” is being attempted — and where we need to go next.
If you watched Monday’s video op-ed and want to see more video versions of this newsletter, drop a comment. Now, let’s talk Beirut again.
Two Weeks, 24 Candidates, One City
I was officially approached by the National Bloc on April 30. Our first full-list meeting was May 3. Elections were May 18.
Running a city-wide campaign in Beirut in two weeks is nearly impossible — especially without the logistics, funding, or field network to sustain it. But we tried. And we tried with purpose.
We had a solid program: grounded in real needs, ambitious about the future, and focused on tangible service delivery. But it didn’t pierce. On paper, it made sense. On the ground, it didn’t resonate. Because when it comes to elections, leadership, messaging, and mobilization speak louder than even the best policy.
Behind the scenes on how the list came together
The Beirut Madinati brand was revived for this race — a name with emotional capital, but no active infrastructure behind it. In 2016, it had emerged from a coalition of technocrats, civil society, and public figures. By 2025, it was mostly a name — the original organizers had moved on.
In the weeks before the election, MPs Ibrahim Mneimneh, Melhem Khalaf, and Paula Yaacoubian joined efforts with the National Bloc and remnants of the Madinati group to field a list of 24 independents. Instead of creating a new identity, we leaned on the existing brand — which brought recognition, but also valid skepticism:
Where has Madinati been? Where’s the machine? Where are the volunteers?
The “change” movement had years to organize. We, the candidates, had just two weeks.
That’s not an excuse — it’s a reflection of how political alternatives are still being assembled in a vacuum, on the fly, and often too late.
And that’s part of the problem: we’re trying to build serious alternatives without the serious infrastructure they require.
Why We Lost: Three Layers of Reality
The election wasn’t just about the turnout. It was about why people didn’t turn out — or didn’t believe in us.
Three intertwined forces were at play:
External factors: economic collapse, demographic shifts, emigration, and rising sectarian anxiety post 2024 war.
Structural factors: no central leadership, fragmented opposition, weak logistics, and missed alliances.
Political terrain: sectarian parity reasserting itself as the organizing logic of power.
Even if we’d picked up more Christian votes, without a strong Sunni base and a clear ground strategy, we weren’t positioned to win. And maybe most importantly: we ran like technocrats in a city that, in crisis, was voting for za3ims.
What Beirut Got Instead
What Beirut ended up with is an alliance of 24 council members with little in common — except their ability to ride the wave of the old power structures.
Cracks are already showing.
Before the vote, the Btejmaana list had agreed on an informal understanding: Ibrahim Zaidan (Sunni) as Council President, and Elie Andrea (Greek Orthodox) as Vice President — preserving the traditional sectarian balance. But Andrea didn’t win. He was outed by General Brigadier Mahmoud Al Jamal (Sunni).
Now the scramble is on to replace him.
Ragheb Haddad, newly elected member and Lebanese Forces affiliate, has threatened to resign if he’s not elected Deputy President. The same Ragheb Haddad who was part of the previous council and according to Megaphone News, was convicted by the Audit Court for squandering $7 million in public funds on the Salim Salam Bridge project.
Alexandre Bridi, backed by the Kataeb, is also vying for the same post — setting up a standoff between two parties that were supposed to be allies.
The council is barely a week old, and it’s already unraveling into internal bickering and political threats. Delivery was never the glue — sectarian arithmetic was.
Missed Alliances, Missed Narratives
I’m also disappointed that we weren’t able to form an alliance with the Kataeb Party — even on a limited scale to agree on Christian candidates. That could have provided clarity and reassurance to many Christian voters who were looking for a credible alternative but didn’t see it.
More broadly, I’m disappointed in the kind of candidates that the Lebanese Forces put forward — both in terms of their track records and the aggressive behavior of parts of their base on election day.
There’s a huge disconnect between the LF’s national narrative — backing competent ministers, defending sovereignty, advocating for Hezbollah’s disarmament, presenting itself as a key U.S. ally — and the quality of its grassroots politics. It doesn’t translate on the ground. And that gap should matter more than it currently does.
To quote a friend, I still believe larger parties — when given assurances — should endorse reform-minded independents at the municipal level. That wouldn’t have swung the election (as I discussed in my podcast with Ronnie Chatah) — but it could have laid the groundwork for a credible coalition.
🎧 Also available on Spotify: Listen here
What Happens Now
Despite it all, we had a solid program. One that addressed urgent needs and laid out a real vision for the future of the city.
We didn’t lose because our ideas were weak — we lost because the system isn’t built to reward ideas right now. It rewards identity, patronage, and power. And we failed to run according to the current rules of the system.
So what do we do? We keep going.
Think with K will resume next week in its usual format. And I want to hear from you.
👉 Drop a comment here or send me a message on Instagram @kristyasseily:
What topics do you want to see more of?
What civic issues are happening in your neighborhood?
If you come across wrongdoing (or maybe even something good!) from the new municipal council — share it.
Let’s keep the civic engagement momentum alive — not just around elections, but every week.
Until next time,
K
Kristy as usual your analysis is sharp and perceptive!