The Lebanese nation has been waiting for a new government since the conclusion of the parliamentary elections on May 15th, with the results publicized in the following 2 days.
The new parliament waited till the first week of June to start electing its committees, which took place between June 7th and 10th.
It wasn’t until June 23rd that the binding parliamentary consultations to elect a Prime Minister took place, at the Baabda Palace, resulting in the re-election of PM Najib Mikati.
PM Mikati proceeded to hold parliamentary non-binding consultations on June 27th and 28th to discuss the formation of the much-awaited government that could finally implement a recovery plan for the deteriorating economy, among the many other critical functions.
However, the consultations didn’t yield a positive result. Mikati’s statement at the conclusion of the session was merely an expression of hope, which mainly told the people that they still have to wait as the ruling officials continue with their disagreements.
As of yet, no government has been formed. Lebanon is still under a caretaker government while the crises continue to worsen and strikes have started to take place in many sectors.
Meanwhile, the ruling officials are obstructing the formation of the new government with their disagreements.
By the end of June, Mikati proposed a cabinet line-up to President Michel Aoun. This was followed the next day with both accusing each other of leaking it.
Last week, President Aoun exchanged statements with Mikati about the government formation file, while Mikati accused Aoun of never calling back after he asked to meet him.
Aoun responded that he was waiting for a new approach in light of the observations that he had expressed over the proposed line-up.
The president’s son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, had made it clear that he won’t support Mikati’s formation of the government.
“We wished Mikati success and stressed that we want to form a government quickly, and we told him why we do not support him in forming a government,” he said back in June.
While Mikati did affirm in his June’s statement of hope that “national interest will triumph over all,” the Lebanese people have yet to see any indication that it will become a reality any time soon.
Meanwhile, as discordances appear to top over “the national interest”, Lebanese politicians and officials issue statements here and there expressing their opinions on the importance of having soon a government.
Among them, the “National Moderation” bloc that stressed “the need to expedite the formation of the future government, and to stay away from impossible demands, especially as we are on the verge of the end of the president’s term and under a caretaker government.”
Amal Movement and Hezbollah also stressed the need to accelerate the cabinet formation as well as the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, who warned against the delay the collapse pervades state institutions.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Elias Bou Saab, met on Monday with Former Prime Minister Tamam Salam in Mosaytbeh and discussed the formation of the government, among other topics. He left without giving a detailed statement about the meeting.
With all these statements and discussions, a new Lebanese government has yet to materialize and the Lebanese people are left to continue tackling the hardships.
The implementation of a reform plan has yet to become other than an elusive concept floating away on their horizon.
