Any move to end Lebanon’s political paralysis ‘unlikely before Eid break’
Lebanon’s major political forces have not yet engaged in discussions to nominate a new prime minister, sources have told The National.
On Thursday, Saad Hariri abandoned efforts to form a Cabinet amid persistent disagreements with the president over its make-up.
“No discussions are under way as of yet,” a source said.
They said talks were expected to gain momentum once the president set binding parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister-designate.
A source close to President Michel Aoun told The National that consultations were “likely to take place” after the Eid Al Adha public holiday on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mr Hariri’s withdrawal prompted his supporters to set up roadblocks for the second consecutive day in Beirut, Tripoli, and the Bekaa region.
Several people were injured in clashes with the army, which was sent out to contain the protests.
Mr Hariri accused the president, an ally of the Shiite party and armed group Hezbollah, of blocking the formation of a Cabinet of non-partisan experts in which Mr Aoun and his son-in-law, the leader of the largest parliamentary bloc, would lack the power of veto.
Mr Hariri said his proposed Cabinet was in line with a French-sponsored international initiative to help Lebanon tackle its worst economic crisis in decades.
Since late 2019, more than half of the population of Lebanon has fallen into poverty.
Vital industries have been disrupted, and fuel and medicine are in short supply.
Hours after announcing his withdrawal, Mr Hariri said he would refrain from nominating a candidate for the post of prime minister.
This raised concern of further political paralysis that would exacerbate Lebanon’s financial meltdown.
Under the country’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of prime minister is held by a Sunni Muslim, while the president is a Christian and the speaker of Parliament a Shiite.
Mr Hariri, however, left the door open for negotiations with his political rivals over the Cabinet’s make-up while blaming Mr Aoun and Hezbollah for the political deadlock.
“The president doesn’t want to form a Cabinet. When the latter decides on the date of [parliamentary] consultations, I will engage my allies in discussions to decide on future steps,” the Future Movement leader said.
“It is clear that we will not be able to agree with the president,” Mr Hariri said shortly before announcing his decision to step down.
His withdrawal paves the way for the parliamentary majority, led by Mr Aoun, Hezbollah and their allies to nominate a new prime minister, barring a wide-ranging political agreement over a successor.
Hezbollah’s ally, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, had led such efforts by engaging Mr Hariri in negotiations to nominate a successor before the latter officially announced that his nine-month discussions with the president had hit a dead end.
But Mr Berri’s efforts to secure an agreement failed to bear fruit by the time Mr Hariri, his long-time ally, decided to step down.
The Speaker’s support for Mr Hariri in his months-long negotiations deepened the rift between the president and Mr Berri, who had opposed Mr Aoun’s presidential bid.
A source familiar with the negotiations that preceded Mr Hariri’s withdrawal said that seeking a successor who failed to receive Mr Hariri’s backing would complicate talks and hinder a political breakthrough.
On Thursday, Mr Hariri thanked Mr Berri for his efforts while taking aim at the president and Hezbollah for undermining Lebanon’s ties with its traditional Arab allies. “It is naive for some to think that ‘Saudi Arabia has a problem with Hariri’. The main problem is Michel Aoun and his alliance with Hezbollah,” Mr Hariri said.
The kingdom has been wary of Hezbollah’s growing dominion over the Lebanese government in recent years.
It scaled down its support for the tiny Mediterranean nation after decades of warm business and investment ties.
Saudi officials, along with their western allies, led by the US and France, now say financial support is contingent on action to tackle corruption and smuggling.
In April, Saudi Arabia banned some imports of fruit and vegetables from Lebanon after authorities intercepted a cache of drugs hidden inside pomegranates.
On Friday, France said it would host an aid conference organised with the support of the UN to “respond to the needs of the Lebanese whose situation is deteriorating every day”.
It will take place on August 4, on the anniversary of the Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people, wounded thousands and caused billions of dollars in property losses across the capital.
The blast forced Hassan Diab to resign as prime minister, leaving Lebanon without a functioning government.
France and its allies have imposed sanctions on Lebanese officials seen to be obstructing the formation of a new one.
The withdrawal of Saad Hariri paves the way for the parliamentary majority to nominate a new prime minister