Lebanon’s Christian leaders making a mistake, says ex-PM
Former prime minister of Lebanon Fouad Siniora has accused Christian leaders of making a “major historical mistake” as they push for more power against a backdrop of financial difficulties and increased pressure from the US against Hezbollah.
“Christians are fighting a losing battle in terms of numbers. They should try to emphasise their role instead of numbers,” he said, referring to President Michel Aoun’s attempts to increase the political influence of Christians in Lebanon.
Mr Siniora used an interview with The National on Wednesday to reflect on Lebanon’s challenges both domestically and regionally, as Prime Minister Saad Hariri meets US officials in an attempt to hold back sanctions on Hezbollah that could destabilise the government and the fragile economy.
Despite several promises, the country has proved incapable of carrying out rapid economic reforms to avoid a looming economic crisis because of political infighting that recently brought the government to a 40-day halt.
Lebanon also fears being embroiled in US-Iran tension in the Gulf because of the military power wielded by Iranbacked Hezbollah, the only party to have kept its weapons after the end of the Lebanese civil war in the name of the fight against Israel.
Mr Siniora said the country was facing “resistance” to reform from many political parties, particularly President Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement. One of Mr Aoun’s core policies is to strengthen the rights of Christians in Lebanon – a strategy he demonstrated recently when he delayed signing the 2018 budget for several days in protest against an article that included the appointment of nearly 1,000 civil servants because only a small minority of them were Christian.
Though Mr Aoun agreed to sign the budget, he then asked the speaker of parliament in a letter to clarify the constitution, stressing that it was essential to preserve Lebanon’s “national consensus and shared life”, which he described as “essential”, reported Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star.
The matter has not been discussed publicly since.
Critics of Mr Aoun such as Mr Siniora argue that the president’s request is contrary to the constitution, which clearly stipulates that sectarian balance should only be maintained for top civil servants, such as ambassadors.
One of Mr Hariri’s closest allies and a member of his Future Movement, 76-year-old Mr Siniora headed the party’s bloc in parliament for nine years until last year.
As prime minister from 2005 to 2009 and finance minister for two terms in the 1990s and early 2000s, he played a significant role in shaping Lebanese politics.
A former banker, he is remembered for having introduced VAT in 2002.
But other economic reforms were not carried out because of resistance from other political parties, he said.
“I confess that in many instances, I could not achieve what I really wanted,” he said.
Syria’s occupation of Lebanon also hindered reforms, Mr Siniora said. “Syria was playing the role of what you call in French pompier pyromane [pyromaniac firefighter]: igniting a fire and then offering its services to extinguish it.”
Mr Siniora has often clashed with Iran-backed Hezbollah, which accuses him of corruption, a charge he rejects.
“Hezbollah interferes in domestic affairs in a number of countries ranging from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and probably others. All this is contrary to the interest of the Lebanese,” he said.