The Lebanese people have heard the promises of government heads in charge that things will shift for the better; promises that have turned out to be empty.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab pledged to tackle and solve major issues in his first 100 days in office, a feat he has failed to achieve. In fact, Lebanon’s economic situation has only taken a turn for the worst in the past couple of months.
A spark of hope was felt when the Lebanese government finally agreed to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
But the talks with the IMF have been difficult, leading to nowhere as of yet. Two Lebanese financial negotiators, Henri Chaoul and Alain Bifani, have quit after losing hope.
Adding to that, an IMF representative has recently lashed out at Central Bank Governor Riad Salame for “igniting the exchange rate” and presenting numbers of losses that don’t add up.
From the Lebanese government side, the Defense Minister has accused the IMF of politicizing its support.
“We have been begging them to behave like a normal state, and they are acting like they are selling us a carpet.” This is what a senior European diplomat was quoted saying to The Guardian regarding talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Another senior diplomat, who also preferred to be anonymous, said that Lebanon “feels like a failed state,” reported The Guardian.
Because of how difficult the negotiations have been, Lebanon’s talks with the IMF are now on hold, plunging hopes for solution deeper into a pit of nothingness.
