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Democrats Outraged a Terrorist Can’t Vote

But if that is really true, why are they working so hard to sabotage their own chances of replacing him? Why are Democrats suddenly saying things that would guarantee Trump's re-election as president?

In just the past few months, Democrats have said things that are so out of the mainstream that it is very hard to imagine voters will back them. On Monday night on CNN, Bernie Sanders, the frontrunner, endorsed allowing felons who are currently behind bars to vote.

"If somebody commits a serious crime -- sexual assault, murder -- they are going to be punished. They may be in jail for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, their whole lives. That is what happens when you commit a serious crime," he said. "But I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy. Yes, even for terrible people."

"Terrible people." So how terrible is Sanders talking about? Cannibals? Convicted spies? How about terrorists who kill children? Oh, yes, said Bernie Sanders, they should get to vote, too. Unlike the First or Second amendments, that is in the Constitution.

Sen. Kamala Harris seemed to initially agree with that in an interview with CNN's Don Lemon, saying, "I think we should have that conversation" about allowing prisoners to vote.

Okay, let's have a conversation. Best to do it right now, actually, because whenever the left tells you they want a conversation about something, you can be certain that any dissent on that subject will be banned a year from now. In 2020, questioning whether imprisoned terrorists should vote could earn you a trip to the HR department and a lifetime ban from PayPal and Twitter.

So while we still can, consider the story of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev first came to the United States, you'll remember, on a tourist visa with the rest of his family from Kyrgyzstan. All of them promptly claimed asylum here, and they were given it. Over time, the Tsarnaevs collected more than $100,000 in taxpayer-financed government benefits.

In 2012, Tsarnaev received U.S. citizenship. And less than a year later, he murdered three people and maimed hundreds with a pressure cooker bomb at the Boston Marathon. Now, he is on death row.

So Democrats hear that story, and they feel outraged. It's not that immigrants repaid our generosity with a terror attack -- that might bother you, but it doesn't bother them. The injustice they are enraged by is that a convicted terrorist might not be allowed to help pick our next president. That is outrageous, in their view.

It's just the kind of institutionalized bigotry that Kyrgyzstani refugees like the Tsarnaevs have faced historically in this country. Maybe they need reparations, too. They definitely need a voice.

So do the convicts of West Feliciana Parish, La.. Of the 15,000 people who live in that parish, fully one-third of them are inmates at the maximum-security Angola State Prison Farm. They are the single largest bloc of voters in the area.

According to Bernie Sanders, this is bad because they are being denied democracy. That is racist and once Bernie Sanders is president, they will be able to elect the city council and the sheriff, maybe the warden, too. That is the kind of "progress" we are talking about here.

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The Latest: Musical about town post-9/11 wins London award

The Latest on the Olivier Awards honoring London stage productions (all times local):

9:10 p.m.

"Come From Away" has been named best new musical at Britain's Olivier stage awards.

The show about a small Newfoundland town that sheltered thousands of stranded airline passengers after the 9/11 attacks has won a total of four trophies at Britain's equivalent of Broadway's Tony Awards.

It also won for choreography, sound and outstanding achievement in music.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith won best actor in a musical for playing charismatic, abusive Ike Turner in "Tina - The Tina Turner Musical."

Best actress in a musical went to Sharon D. Clarke for her powerful performance in Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change." as the maid to a family in the American south in the 1960s.

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6:40 p.m.

"The Inheritance" has been named best new play at British theater's Olivier Awards.

Matthew Lopez's epic drama took the first trophy at a Sunday evening ceremony for the annual prizes, Britain's equivalent of the Tonys.

The American playwright said he was "overwhelmed and overjoyed" to win the London stage award for his seven-hour play about young gay men in New York.

Laura Wade's "Home I'm Darling," about a 21st-century couple trying to live a perfect 1950s life, was named best new comedy.

"The Inheritance" has eight Olivier nominations in all. Musicals "Come From Away" and "Company" are each nominated in nine categories.

The prizes are being handed out in a black-tie ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall.

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2:00 p.m.

Actors and other theater professionals are preparing for Britain's annual Olivier Awards ceremony, where musicals "Come From Away" and "Company" lead the nominations with nine apiece.

"Come From Away," about a Newfoundland town that sheltered stranded air travelers after the 9/11 attacks, is up for best new musical. A gender-switched West End production of Stephen Sondheim's "Company" is nominated for best musical revival.

Epic gay-history drama "The Inheritance" has eight nominations, and a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I" starring Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe has six.

Acting contenders include Ian McKellen for "King Lear," Gillian Anderson for "All About Eve" and Sophie Okonedo for "Antony and Cleopatra."

Sally Field, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Hiddleston and Wendell Pierce are among the stars expected at Sunday's ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Source: Fox News World

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Potential GOP primary challenger Hogan takes aim at Trump, calls Mueller report ‘very disturbing’

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland took aim at President Trump on Tuesday during a visit to New Hampshire, claiming there was “some very disturbing stuff” in the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia Investigation report.

In doing so, Hogan appeared to open the door a bit more to a 2020 primary challenge against the Republican president, saying it’s under “serious consideration” as he spoke at "Politics and Eggs," a must stop for White House hopefuls visiting the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state.

TRUMP PRIMARY CHALLENGER WELD ENVISIONS 'MCCAIN STYLE CAMPAIGN

Speaking with reporters after the event, Hogan pointed to the Mueller report and highlighted, “I think there was certainly evidence that he [Trump] attempted to” commit obstruction of justice.

“It certainly did not completely exonerate the president, as he has said. There were some very disturbing stuff found in the report. And just because aides did not follow his orders, that’s the only reason we don’t have obstruction of justice,” Hogan said.

“There was some really unsavory stuff in the report that did not make me proud of the president and there was certainly nothing to crow about and nothing to celebrate in that at all,” Hogan added.

And he criticized his fellow Republicans for not speaking out against the president.

“It’s very frustrating. And I know that there are a number of my colleagues, both governors and senators and members of the House that privately will say they’re very concerned but won’t say anything publicly. And I think it’s because they’re afraid. There’s no profiles in courage here. They’re afraid of being primaried. They’re afraid of being tweeted about,” he said.

But Hogan wasn’t advocating for impeachment.

“I don’t think that [the House of Representatives] should begin impeachment proceedings. I don’t think they would be productive. I think most people in America are tired of this whole two-year investigation,” he stressed.

Hogan, who was just overwhelmingly re-elected last November to a second term steering reliably blue Maryland, said his decision on a potential primary challenge against Trump “really wouldn’t be based on that report. It’s really about seeing what people think out there and whether there’s any path to victory and whether or not they’re really interested in having an alternative.”

Hogan opened his address by declaring that “I’m not here to make any official announcements.”

“I just thought April would be a beautiful time to visit New Hampshire,” he joked.

Speaking to reporters later, Hogan was asked about mounting a long-shot primary challenge against Trump, who remains very popular with most Republican voters.

“I’m not interested in just running to hurt the president, bruise the president. I’m out here talking about things that I think are important. I care about the future of my party. I care about the country,” Hogan said. “I would not run just to be a spoiler for the president. I’ve got a state to run.”

“A growing number of people have been asking me to give it serious consideration and I felt an obligation that I needed to do that,” he explained.

Hogan said he’s already been to 10 states and has 16 more to visit. But he added he’s in no rush to decide.

“The filing deadline in New Hampshire is November 15. A shorter field would be better for a challenger that didn’t have as much money,” he said. “There’s no rush to jump in. I know the Democrats are all jumping in and they have to fight each other. I don’t feel any pressure to get in any earlier than what the law says you have to get in.”

And he pointed to New Hampshire and other states that allow non-Republicans to vote in GOP presidential primaries, while citing his appeal with independents. Taking aim at Trump, he argued, “if you’re going to nominate someone who can’t win the general election, that’s not good for the Republican Party.”

Still, Hogan is not polling strongly at this stage.

Hogan arrived in the Granite State the day after a new University of New Hampshire poll put him at 1 percent in a hypothetical GOP primary matchup. The poll indicated the president with 76 percent support; former Ohio Gov. John Kasich -- a vocal Trump critic who’s seriously mulling a 2020 primary challenge -- at 10 percent; and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld – who’s launched a primary campaign against Trump – at 5 percent.

Asked by Fox News about his standing in the survey, Hogan pointed to his high approvals in polls in Maryland.

“In the only state where they know both of us, where we’ve both been on the ballot, I’m about 50 points ahead of the president. So it’s like I’ve never been to New Hampshire. This is my second trip up. Nobody knows who I am yet,” he answered.

Hogan said he also wasn’t overly concerned about attracting the wrath of the president if he launches a primary challenge.

“It’s probably not the most pleasant thing to go through I’m sure. But I’ve battled cancer for 18 months. I can probably take it,” he said.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Town ravaged by tornado prays at church that sheltered many

The pastor of a church that became a center for shelter, help and grieving when a tornado killed 23 people in eastern Alabama said in his first Sunday service after the storm that the Lord has reached out his hand to the community.

Imperfect things like tornadoes and other tragedies happen because we live in an imperfect world, Providence Baptist Church Pastor Rusty Sowell said Sunday.

His sermon focused on the Bible verse Isaiah 41:13: "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

Nearly 100 people safely rode out the March 3 storm in the church, which then because a center for donations and the place where Sowell and the county coroner told families they had lost loved ones.

This Sunday, 23 crosses sat outside the country church, one for each victim of the huge EF4 tornado that roared through Beauregard a few hours after last Sunday's services with 170 mph (270 kph) and a path nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide.

As she sat in a pew, Sunday, Cindy Samford said all her emotions hit her suddenly. She lost her home in the storm hours after last week's service.

"I'm heartbroken by the loss of lives and the devastation of it all. Today in church was a confirmation of faith that God was watching over us. God has his hands on us," Samford said.

President Donald Trump visited the church Friday as he looked at the damage, signing Bibles for some victims there seeking help.

Sowell said it was easy to speak badly about the president and wondered if some of the critics owned Bibles.

"My first thought is if that is what you are worried about, bring your raggedy self down here to our corner of the world and get to work," Sowell said to applause from the packed congregation. "The ones that are running their mouths are not down here getting their hand dirty, walking alongside the walking wounded."

But most of Sowell's sermon was how God reaches out his hand in times of need. He talked about how the church built a second building across the street with showers, a full kitchen and a large gathering space after the area was devastated by Hurricane Opal in 1995 and could not get help.

That building became the center of the relief efforts after the tornado.

"This is why this building is here," Sowell said. "And God knew."

Carolyn Thrower said being at Providence Baptist this Sunday was awe inspiring, knowing they were helping to show God's love and healing.

"Church always helps, but today it was a special blessing," she said.

Supplies continue to pour into the church, and Sowell said he was amazed at the generosity of people, even if Providence Baptist was dealing with a problem many places face after a disaster — too much donated water and clothing.

"Please we don't need any more," Sowell said of the thousands of cases of water and bags of clothes. "In fact, everyone here gets to carry home a case of water."

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Freelance photographer Vasha Hunt contributed to this story from Beauregard, Alabama.

Source: Fox News National

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‘Too early’ to tell if Ocasio-Cortez will help New York: Governor Cuomo

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Ocasio-Cortez speaks during a news conference for a proposed
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a news conference for a proposed "Green New Deal" to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 10 years, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. February 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

February 23, 2019

By Ginger Gibson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a scion of his party’s establishment wing, said on Friday it was “too early” to know if the young Democrat firebrand from his state, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will help New York while in Congress.

“It’s early yet to find out what she actually produces,” Cuomo told reporters after a news conference in Washington in which he argued for Congress to reverse a provision in the new federal tax code that disproportionately hurts his constituents.

“You know, New York is very basic in our approach, we’re sort of, ‘What have you brought home for us lately?’ I think it’s a little early in the session yet for the evaluation.”

Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated a long-time Democratic lawmaker to get elected to Congress in 2018, has pushed her party to embrace a more liberal platform and ruffled feathers with her quick rise. She’s also become an obsession among conservatives, who jump to attack her every remark.

Cuomo and Ocasio-Cortez ended up on opposite sides of the debate about Amazon.com opening a new headquarters in New York. When the tech company decided last week to abandon plans for a new campus in Queens, Ocasio-Cortez cheered and Cuomo lamented the move.

But he wasn’t ready to put the blame on Ocasio-Cortez.

“God issues fault,” Cuomo said. “She was against it, a number of people were against it, but she did not have an official government role. There were people who had an official government role who were against it and I think they have more of the liability.”

Cuomo dismissed the idea that Ocasio-Cortez could be pushing his party too far to the left, pointing to progressive initiatives that had found favor with voters such as New York’s $15 minimum wage, paid family leave and marriage equality.

“We have a significant Republican population,” Cuomo said. “I’m in my third term, so you can be a progressive and you can win with Democrats and Republicans. So it depends on how its done.”

(Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: OANN

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Rep. Jordan on Rep. Schiff: 'Did He Not Read Bill Barr's Letter?'

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, took offense with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff's insistence there was collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, saying Attorney General William Barr's summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's findings proved the point.

"Did he not read Bill Barr's letter?" Rep. Jordan told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "The attorney general said there was no collusion and points out in his letter that there were multiple opportunities for Trump campaign officials to work with Russians, but they didn't do it. Russia dangled the forbidden fruit in front of people all the time and they didn't bite."

Barr's statement could not be stronger, as it meant "total vindication" for Trump, and that means "good news" for the United States as well, Jordan said.

He also slammed Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., for saying in an interview he believes the Christopher Steele discredited dossier on Trump and Russia.

"The dossier, don't take my word for it, take Jim Comey's: He said it was salacious and unverified," Jordan said. "Jim Comey said this dossier was not accurate."

"We all know it's National Enquirer garbage," he added. "The scary thing is . . . they took this document, paid for by the Clinton campaign, dressed it all up and took it to the secret court to get the warrant to go and spy on the Trump campaign."

Source: NewsMax Politics

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Catholic Church in Peru rebukes local bishop who sued journalists

FILE PHOTO: Peruvian journalist Pedro Salinas, who exposed a web of abuse in an elite Catholic society and is being sued for defamation by a local bishop, talks to Reuters during an interview in Lima
FILE PHOTO: Peruvian journalist Pedro Salinas, who exposed a web of abuse in an elite Catholic society and is being sued for defamation by a local bishop, talks to Reuters during an interview in Lima, Peru October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo/File Photo

April 11, 2019

LIMA (Reuters) – The Catholic Church in Peru on Wednesday rebuked a local archbishop who has sued two local investigative journalists for libel after they broke a sex abuse story involving an elite Catholic society that he belongs to.

Jose Eguren, archbishop of the coastal city of Piura, has accused the journalists, Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz, of slandering him by accusing him of covering up the abuse. This week, a judge ruled in his favor and ordered Salinas to a year’s probation and $24,000 fine. A ruling is pending for Ugaz.

Human rights activists and journalists slammed the sentence as a blow to freedom of expression and efforts to end impunity for child sex abusers.

In a statement about the ruling, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, which represents the Catholic Church in the country of 32 million people and reports to the Vatican, called for solidarity with the victims of abuse in the Church and for those who expose abuse such as journalists.

“The Holy Pope himself has praised and thanked journalists for work that has, through their investigations, contributed to the reporting of abuse, punishment for abusers and assistance for victims,” the presidency of the conference said.

“The Pope stresses that the Church needs help in this difficult task of fighting this evil,” added the statement, which did not mention Eguren directly.

Eguren said it was premature for the Episcopal Conference to comment on the case because the full ruling of Judge Judith Cueva had not been made public. “Before making pronouncements, it’s prudent in these circumstances to wait for the entire sentence to be read,” Eguren said in a statement.

Salinas and Ugaz say they accused Eguren of covering up the abuse because of accounts by victims. They say he is trying to silence them for reporting on accounts of sexual, physical and psychological abuse by leaders in Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Catholic society with pontifical approval that Eguren belongs to.

The book Salinas and Ugaz co-authored on Sodalitium in 2015, “Mitad Monjes, Mitad Soldados,” prompted investigations into former members of the society by the Peruvian prosecutors’ office and the Vatican.

An internal report by Sodalitium in 2017 concluded the group’s founder and other high-ranking former members had abused 19 minors and 10 adults. Last year, Pope Francis ordered the Vatican to take over the organization.

(Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: OANN

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Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas
Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s foreign minister and a Venezuelan judge, according to a statement on the department’s website.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a judge, Carol Padilla, were targeted over the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said, the latest in a list of officials blacklisted by U.S. authorities for their role in President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of
Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of “Avengers: Endgame” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake

April 26, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Marvel Studios superhero spectacle “Avengers: Endgame” hauled in a record $60 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices during its Thursday night debut, distributor Walt Disney Co said.

Global ticket sales for the film about Iron Man, Hulk and other popular characters reached $305 million for the first two days, Disney said.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Funeral of journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland April 24, 2019. Brian Lawless/Pool via REUTERS

April 26, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Britain in June.

“Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric,” Corbyn said in a statement.

He said maintaining the relationship with the United States did not require “the pomp and ceremony of a state visit” and he said he would welcome a meeting with Trump “to discuss all matters of interest.”

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Writing by William Schomberg)

Source: OANN

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A bedridden 67-year-old woman and more than a dozen animals were rescued Thursday after a welfare check found that they were living in a home filled with trash, urine, and feces, Florida police said.

Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies said when they arrived at the home in Dunedin around 7:20 p.m. Thursday, they could smell the odor of rotting trash and animal feces as they walked up to the driveway.

“Inside the residence, the odor of feces and urine was so overwhelming that deputies had to don masks,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

FLORIDA SHERIFF ON BORDER CRISIS AFTER MAJOR DRUG BUST: ‘IT MAKES ME ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’

Walking throughout the residence, the deputies found 10 emaciated dogs and puppies living in bins filled with their own feces, five large Macaw birds flying freely, rats, bugs and overall squalor.

Puppies discovered living in their own feces inside a Florida home that was filled with trash, urine, and feces.

Puppies discovered living in their own feces inside a Florida home that was filled with trash, urine, and feces. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

Deputies said due to the large amounts of trash in the home, they had to clear a path to reach the victim’s bedroom.

“None of the home’s toilets were working and all were found to be overflowing with feces,” deputies said. “The only working sink was located on the opposite end of the house from the victim’s bedroom.”

They said there was no food or water for the victim or the animals.

FLORIDA MAN IN EASTER BUNNY COSTUME CAUGHT IN VIRAL BRAWL IS WANTED IN NEW JERSEY, HAS HISTORY OF ARRESTS

The victim was transported to a local hospital for injuries that were non-life threatening, while the animals were transported to shelters.

The woman’s caretaker, Richard Lawrence Goodwin, 65, was arrested and charged with abuse and neglect of an elderly person, disabled person, and cruelty to animals.

Richard Goodwin, 69, was arrested for abuse and neglect of an elderly and disabled person after deputies found she was living in deplorable conditions.

Richard Goodwin, 69, was arrested for abuse and neglect of an elderly and disabled person after deputies found she was living in deplorable conditions. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

The sheriff’s department said this was Goodwin’s second arrest for abuse and neglect of the same victim. He was previously arrested in May 2018.

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Neighbor Victoria Muenzerbeer told FOX 13 that Goodwin and the victim were hoarders and the conditions inside the home were horrible years ago when she visited once.

“I went in and it was absolutely, a human being couldn’t live there,” she said. “The kitchen wasn’t usable and part of the wall was falling in.”

Source: Fox News National

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Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli
Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli, Libya April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Hani Amara

April 26, 2019

By Ulf Laessing

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s U.N.-recognized government has budgeted up to 2 billion dinars ($1.43 billion) to cover costs of a three-week-old war for control of the capital, such as treatment for the wounded, to be funded without new borrowing, the economy minister said.

Ali Abdulaziz Issawi suggested the government hoped for business to continue more or less as usual despite the assault on Tripoli, in the country’s northwest, by forces tied to a parallel administration based in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Once Africa’s third largest producer of oil, Libya has been riven by factional conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the country now broadly split between eastern-based forces under Khalifa Haftar and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, in the west, under Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

Still, with Haftar’s Libyan National Army forces unable so far to pierce defenses in Tripoli’s southern suburbs, normal life and business activities continue in much of the capital and western coastal towns.

Issawi, in an interview with Reuters in his Tripoli office, also said Libya’s commercial ports and wheat imports were still functioning normally, although some roads have been blocked.

He said the Serraj government estimates it will spend up to 2 billion dinars extra on medical treatment for wounded, aid for displaced people and other “emergency” war costs.

He said this was not military spending but analysts believe that the sum will also cover expenditures such as pay for allied armed groups or food for fighters.

“We could actually spend less,” he added, in comments that gave the first insight into the economic impact of the fighting.

Issawi said the Tripoli government, which controls little territory beyond the greater capital region, would not incur new debt to fund the war costs, sticking to a plan to post a 2019 budget without a deficit.

Tripoli derives revenue largely from oil and natural gas production, interest-free loans from local banks to the central bank, and a 183 percent surcharge on foreign exchange transactions conducted at official rates.

But with centralized tax collection greatly diminished, public debt has piled up – to 68 billion dinars in the west, including unpaid state obligations such as social insurance.

Some analysts expect Serraj’s government will be forced to raise new debt if the war for control of Tripoli drags on.

With much of Libya dominated by armed factions that also act as security forces, the public wage bill for both the western and eastern administrations has soared as fighters have been made public employees in efforts to buy their loyalty.

The east has sold bonds worth 35 billion dinars outside the official financial system as the Tripoli central bank does not fund the parallel government apart from some wages.

Despite its limited reach, the Tripoli government still runs an annual budget of around 46.8 billion dinars, mainly for public salaries and fuel subsidies.

“This year we cannot finance via debt…we will not borrow (by agreement with the central bank),” Issawi said.

According to International Monetary Fund data, Libya’s central government debt-to-GDP ratio is 143 percent, making it one of the most heavily indebted in the world on that measure.

Issawi declined to say what parts of the budget would be trimmed to support the extra outlay for war costs.

However, with some 70 percent of the budget allocated to public wages, fuel subsidies and other welfare benefits, a portion devoted to infrastructure is most likely to be axed.

Widespread lawlessness has meant there have been no major infrastructural projects since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, leaving schools, hospitals and roads in acute need of restoration.

FOREX SURCHARGE

Issawi said the government planned to raise as much as 30 billion dinars by the end of 2019 from hard currency deals after imposing in September a 183 percent surcharge on commercial and private transactions done on the official rate of 1.4 to the U.S. dollar. That fee has effectively devalued the official rate to 3.9, much closer to the black market equivalent.

Some 17 billion dinars have been raised since then, with hard currency allocated for import credit letters now issued without delays, Issawi said. The forex fee has helped the government forecast a budget in the black for 2019.

Despite the narrowing spread between the two rates, the black market continues to thrive. Dozens of traders remained at their favorite spot behind the central bank headquarters in Tripoli when Reuters reporters visited it last week.

But traders said it could take time for the Serraj government to register the extra forex receipts as official banking channels were taking up to six months to approve import financing, keeping the black market in play for dealers.

Issawi said authorities planned to lower the forex fee from 183 percent, without saying when. The black market rate has dropped from 6 to around 4.1 since September but it has hardly moved of late as demand for black market cash remains high.

The Tripoli government has stopped subsidizing food and bread, which used to be cheaper than drinking water in Libya. Wheat imports are now being arranged by private traders and there are surplus stocks of flour at the moment, Issawi said.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing in Tripoli with additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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