Alwaght- As the Lebanese PM-designate Saad Hariri fails to form a new government and the political crisis is aggravating the tough economic conditions, home and foreign efforts are intensifying to break the impasse ahead of the cabinet formation and cut the damages of the resultant economic predicament to the people's daily life.
Feeling the dangers of continuation of the current tense situation, some of the internal forces, mainly Hezbollah and other Shiite circles, have proposed initiatives to end the two-year political crisis and cut the economic problems. France, on the other hand, is a foreign actor that is planning an international donor conference next week.
Hezbollah and Amal ultimatum to Hariri
One of the plans to get out of this crisis is proposed by Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament. He has initiated massive talks with various political groups and leaders.
His proposal breaks the 24-minister cabinet into three parts, an initiative that would withhold the "veto" right from all parties. Eight ministers for President Michel Aoun, eight ministers for Hariri, and the other eight for Hezbollah, Amal, and their allies.
So far, Hariri has avoided forming a cabinet under the pretext of opposition of Gebran Bassil, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), to a technocratic government. Also, Hariri, the head of the Future Movement, accuses Bassil of seeking to guarantee one-third share in the cabinet. The accusation is totally rejected by Bassil and Aoun, the former head of the FPM. They have counter-accusations, arguing that Hariri is intentionally deepening the crisis to wrest concessions from rivals. At the same time, Hariri critics find weighty the foreign pressures including those coming from the US and Saudi Arabia to isolate Hezbollah from the new cabinet.
Last week, Berri's two-week deadline for Hariri ended but he gave the PM-designate another week.
"This week should be decisive to forming a new government to save Lebanon," said Berri on Tuesday.
Berri's remarks are coming as his initiative is squeezed between Aoun-Hariri difference over who should pick two Christian ministers who are not the president's share. Aoun and Bassil insist that Hariri's push to pick the two ministers is out of the PM power in the constitution.
In the midst of this political controversy, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has called for an end to the inaction of the politicians and immediate formation of the government to solve the people problems amid the suffocating economic crisis.
Describing as "shameful" the long lines in the gas stations, possibility of full power blackout due to fuel shortage, and medicine shortage, Hezbollah leader attacked those behind the crisis who ignore national interests and prioritize their party's interests. Sayyed Nasrallah added that the resistance movement was ready to talk to its allies, especially Iran, to help solve the Lebanese problems.
Over the past few months, Hezbollah has repeatedly stressed the need to speed up the formation of the government and "solve the problems of the people", and has pursued a policy of patience in the face of Hariri and March 14 obstructionist approach to avoid worse crisis. However, recent remarks by Hezbollah's secretary-general show that the movement, in response to public opinion demands to form a new government, the movement made it clear that if politicians continue their inaction Hezbollah will step in.
Foreign initiatives, from Vatican to Elysee Palace
Along with internal efforts, there are foreign initiatives to settle the Lebanese crisis.
On May 30, Pope Francis invited representatives of Lebanon's Christian community to the Vatican on July 1 "for a day of prayer for peace and stability" and reflection "about the worrisome situation in the country." The invitation was welcomed by a wide range of Lebanese groups which expressed their optimism about its positive effects.
Yet another initiative is from France. The French defense ministry announced that Paris will hold a" virtual international meeting" on June 17 to mobilize support for the Lebanese army. The Lebanese army personnel are said to be facing deteriorating living conditions in the current dreadful circumstances. Countries of the International Support Group for Lebanon, which includes the Persian Gulf Arab states, the US, European powers, China, and Russia, have been invited to the conference.
Since the beginning of the political crisis in Lebanon after Hariri resigned as PM in October 2019, and also the explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020, France has been one of the most important foreign actors in the Lebanese developments to end the political stalemate. The initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, which was given during a visit to Beirut less than a week after the devastating twin blasts, has not been successful in practice, but has always been supported by a large number of Lebanese groups.
In an effort to address the Lebanese economic crisis, France hosted CEDRE conference, in which aid promises for Beirut exceeded $11 billion, on the condition of economic reforms in the country. With over 40 percent unemployment rate and the highest foreign debt to its GDP, which according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is around $85 billion, Lebanon faces the worst economic crisis in its history and is in desperate need for foreign funds.
The French initiative, however, has so far found no path to materialization. Whereas Paris struggles to show off as an active player in the quest for Lebanon crisis solution, the Lebanese public are convinced that a final solution to the current crisis lies in the serious will and actions of Lebanese politicians and political groups.
