"Free and fair parliamentary elections held on time in 2022 will be an essential opportunity for the people to make their voices heard," says UN chief Guterres during a press conference in crisis-hit Lebanon. Lebanon is in the throes of an economic meltdown dubbed by the World Bank as among the planet's worst since the 1850s. It is widely blamed on nepotism and corruption among the country's ruling class. Around 80 percent of Lebanon's population is now estimated to be living under the poverty line. SOUNDBITE