Lebanon aid linked to govt formation, reforms

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called on Lebanese politicians to set up a new government to enable reforms in Lebanon otherwise there would be no international help for the country. Macron, who was hosting a virtual aid conference, said he will return to Lebanon in December to pressure the Lebanese political class.

The international community expressed its dismay over the continuous political wrangling in Lebanon that is says is hampering the country’s growth and recovery from economic crisis.

The International Conference on Assistance and Support to Beirut held online was organized by France and the UN. It is the second since the disastrous Aug. 4 explosion that destroyed Beirut’s port and wrecked large parts of the capital. World leaders and international organizations pledged $298 million in emergency humanitarian aid after the blast but warned that no money for rebuilding the capital will be made available until Lebanese authorities commit themselves to serious political and economic reforms.

Popular anger has grown in the past year over alleged corruption among the political elite in Lebanon, where a dire economic crisis has pushed the poverty rate up to more than half the population. Since mass protests erupted in October 2019, the under-fire ruling class has repeatedly pledged to root out graft, and this year the parliament passed a new law to combat illicit enrichment.

But critics have expressed little trust in a system they say is riddled with nepotism.

Those accused of graft on Wednesday included former army chief Jean Kahwaji, who held the post from 2008 to 2017, and several former military intelligence chiefs. The Beirut state prosecutor launched proceedings over their alleged “illicit enrichment, and using their official positions to reap vast wealth.”