Kristy Asseily joins The Beirut Banyan to discuss her candidacy for Beirut's 2025 municipal elections. Our discussion covers her recent return to Lebanon and passion for grassroots politics, Beirut Madinati's efforts in retrospect, and the short and long-term platform the list is advocating. We also talk about voter engagement, communal concerns, municipal relations with the Muhafez, digitization efforts, learning from NGOs and why the municipality matters. Kristy Asseily is a member of the National Bloc. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:32 Professional background 3:13 Return to Lebanon 5:30 Municipal vs national politics 6:38 Decision to join National Bloc 8:26 Beirut Madinati in retrospect 13:23 Coalition disadvantage 15:03 Voter engagement 17:21 Sectarian concerns vs numbers 20:03 Striking names 23:22 Platform & financial audit 27:14 Starting small 30:45 Relations with the Muhafez 35:13 Collecting taxes 37:42 Digitization 40:59 Ghost projects 42:21 Accusations & false assumptions 44:17 Mobile app 47:53 Citizen forums 49:05 Bygone urban planning 53:17 Learning from NGOs 54:14 Reinvigorating the port 58:13 Vacancies & rent rates 1:01:26 Commute & accessibility 1:02:40 Political void & communal votes 1:08:15 Why the Municipality matters