Lebanon’s new PM promises swift response to crises

Former ambassador must deal with virus resurgence and fallout from explosion as public defy lockdown

LEBANON’S prime minister-in-waiting yesterday pledged to form a new government “in record time” to tackle the country’s multiple crises, from a spike in virus cases to picking up the pieces after Beirut’s devastating explosion.

Mustapha Adib, Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany, was appointed to form a government after securing 90 votes in the 128-member parliament.

Urgent action is required in Lebanon on several fronts, from an investigation into the ammonium nitrate blast to tackling endemic corruption and spiralling economic problems. Covid-19 cases are also surging and fed-up residents with dwindling trust in the authorities have largely disregarded the latest lockdown to try to earn a living.

Mr Adib’s appointment came hours before Emmanuel Macron, the French president, was due to arrive for a twoday visit. Like other world leaders and the International Monetary Fund, Mr Macron has refused assistance to Lebanon before it enacts major reforms.

In scenes echoing Mr Macron’s previous visit in the aftermath of the Aug 4 explosion, which killed 190 people and injured 6,000, Mr Adib visited Gemmayzeh, one of the worst-hit districts, immediately after his appointment. He pledged to form a cabinet of experts to “put the country on track to end the dangerous financial, economic and social drainage”, but locals in the district and beyond were not all convinced.

Chanting “Revolution!” and questioning how he could be independent when he had been chosen by existing parties, their chants echoed the mood across the city, where dissatisfaction has led to widespread non-compliance with new coronavirus lockdowns.

Many Beirutis say they are unwilling to follow orders from a government whose negligence and incompetence they say led to the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that damaged buildings across half the city.

Last week, the caretaker government was forced to roll back its third lockdown even as Hassan Diab, the outgoing prime minister, warned the country risked losing control of the pandemic.

“Remaining businesses would not have been able to last” another lockdown, said Maya Bekhaazi Noun, the general secretary of the hospitality union, which encouraged its members to defy the restrictions.

Due to Lebanon’s dire economic situation, half of Beirut’s bars, cafés and restaurants had been unable to reopen following the first coronavirus lockdown, she said. A further 1,400 establishments were damaged by the recent explosion, which halted a second lockdown.

But in the two weeks since, infections have doubled, partly due to transmissions in hospitals where many of the wounded were treated.