What is happening in
Lebanon is literally a chain
reaction of mischiefs that represent a textbook case of what William
Shakespeare described in his immortal masterpiece “Hamlet,” saying: “When
sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”
اضافة اعلان
The latest episode of that was the
Lebanese Central Bank’s decision to lift the subsidies on fuel, to be added to the severe
shortage in medicine and the long queues of people waiting to buy bread, for
those who can afford it.
Some hospitals have become dysfunctional, like the
90-year-old Al-Makassed General Hospital in Beirut, which has closed its doors
in the face of patients seeking treatment at the charity facility, citing a
shortage in fuel and medicines.
Even in wartime, hospitals might face problems,
but they keep functioning, because, in principle, the international community
and relief agencies would not allow a humanitarian situation to deteriorate to
this level of catastrophe!
The political situation in Lebanon and the bickering
among politicians are the main culprit in this situation.
An entire year was
wasted as the country was struggling, in vain, to form a government, but the
disputes between President Michel Aoun and former premier Saad Al-Hariri ended
in an all-too familiar failure after the tragic blast at Beirut Port a year
ago.
This is a crime that shames all these political and sectarian
leaders, whose pursuit of political and economic gain has dragged the country
into the abyss, leaving almost half of the people below the poverty line.
Alas, the possible formation of a new government by
the prime minister designate Najib Mikati is not the answer to the
multi-faceted disaster the Lebanese are undergoing.
The seeds of failure are
inherent in the process, even if the government was formed, thanks, again, to
the differences among the same old faces and the futile quota system.
The absence
of a functional and sustainable government simply means that international
organizations that might be willing to offer help cannot trust that the people
in power will be reliable partners to implement economic correction plans, The entire reality is absurd.
The country’s currency
has lost more than 100 percent of its value against the US dollar in two years,
while the unemployment rate is above 40 percent, and Lebanon is, consequently,
rolling down the road to a complete bankruptcy.
No solution sounds feasible under the circumstances,
but perhaps the Arab League can host a national dialogue conference bringing
together all Lebanese stakeholders to salvage this Arab country through drawing
a clear political and economic roadmap that is binding for all.
Maybe then
Lebanon, once a vanguard of modernism and free press and a hub of cultural
activities, will escape the bottleneck.
Moreover, it is high time for regional and
international forces fighting for a grip of power on Lebanon to take a break
and leave the country alone to breathe.
In fact, this is the job of the
Lebanese people themselves to give the wake-up call to their politicians with a
clear message that they can no longer tolerate external interference in their
affairs, and that no group will remain a proxy for a greedy regional or
international power.
Lebanon can be saved by a true democracy and a new
order where meritocracy, institutions, transparency, checks and balances and
the rule of the law prevail.
Admittedly, this is a far-fetched dream, but,
after all, the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step and the
Lebanese are undeniably among the most educated and enlightened peoples in the
region to succeed.
In the meantime, the international community should
shoulder its responsibilities and take bold steps to divert the course of
events there to safety.
There are effective tools like grants, zero-interest or
soft loans and, above all, debt cancellation or reduction, at least. Let’s all
save Lebanon.
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