Lebanese election candidate tries to entice female voters with 'cheaper' hairdos

Running out of ideas on how to attract voters, a Lebanese candidate running for the May elections is offering women to style their hair for one day for 'cheaper prices'

Offbeat

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

21 April, 2022

Billionaire Makhzoumi is running in the elections again this year in Beirut [Getty- archive]

Welcome to The New Arab’s coverage of Lebanon’s General Election 2022 held on May 15, 2022. Follow live updates, results, analyses, and opinion in our special hub here.

A Lebanese member of parliament running for re-election has resorted to an unusual way of attracting female voters by offering them the chance to have their hair done this weekend.

A poster from the Makhzoumi Foundation, owned by billionaire businessman Fouad Makhzoumi, went viral in recent days as it offered women the chance to get their hair cut, dyed and highlighted for "cheaper prices" for one day.

"Giving a little results in a lot of pleasure," and "a cosmetic day out at nominal cost" read the pink poster, with details on the date, time and location of the event, with a phone number for women to book their appointments.

While using incentives to attract voters is not unusual in Lebanon, many have ridiculed what they call a "new low" in trying to gain votes in the crucial legislative polls set for May.

Social media users mocked the offer.

للإبداع عنوان "فؤاد مخزومي"
أقوى حملة انتخابية بتاريخ البشرية 🥳
هو بيعرف مفتاح المرأة وبيعرف مفتاح الرجل هي المرأة ——> BINGOOOO #منّك_هيّن 😎 لعبها ذكية 😉 pic.twitter.com/ebXbgesuKK
— Nathaly Andraos - ناتالي أندراوس (@NathalyAndraos) April 19, 2022

نتف الإحتلال#فؤاد_مخزومي pic.twitter.com/oAYVf8lwDy
— The Instigator (@13Instigator) April 20, 2022

نيو لوك #فؤاد_مخزومي pic.twitter.com/fkO98LRkRU
— 𝗟𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗦/3 🇱🇧 (@LagrimasTriste1) April 19, 2022

Lebanese will cast their ballots on May 15, voting for 128 representatives. The elections are being viewed by many as the first springboard towards change following large anti-government protests, which began in 2019.

Makhzoumi is the CEO of Future Pipe Industries, and heads the National Dialogue Party.

He is running as a candidate in the capital Beirut. Many of the city’s residents told local media that his foundation has been relentless in offering incentives for votes.

In 2009, it was revealed that Makhzoumi’s wife gave hundreds of thousands of pounds to the British Conservative Party.