Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has warned that a national unity government needs to be formed as the country faces economic malaise after months of political deadlock.
“We have fallen behind. We must form the government,” Hariri told reporters at the presidential palace on Tuesday, after a long meeting with President Michel Aoun.
“The president and I are determined to meet again and end this issue, because the country cannot continue without a government,” he said.
Heavily indebted and with a stagnant economy, Lebanon desperately needs a new government to implement economic reforms to put its public finances on a more sustainable footing and unlock foreign aid.
“The economic situation is difficult, but this is not to say it is impossible,” Hariri reiterated on Tuesday.
Hariri called for political factions in the multi-confessional country to cooperate on reviving the political process.
Seven months after a general election, Lebanese leaders are still at odds over how to parcel out cabinet positions among rival groups according to its confessional political system that allocates government positions according to sect.
The final obstacle to a deal has been the Sunni representation, with six Sunni legislators aligned with the Iran-backed Shia Hezbollah group, demanding a cabinet seat to reflect their gains in the election.
Hariri, whose family has long dominated Lebanese Sunni politics, has ruled out giving up one of his cabinet seats for them.
In November, he accused his main political rival – Hezbollah – of obstructing the formation of a new cabinet.
A month later, he promised that Lebanon would have a government “by the end of the year”.
Last week, the Lebanese took to the streets to demonstrate against the many problems crippling the country from moving forward. Civil society groups organised protests in Tripoli and Nabatieh, as well as the capital, Beirut.
The protests were focused on the economic crisis, which has led to falling living standards.
The international community pledged up to $11.5bn in aid and loans for Lebanon at a conference in Paris in April.
But the promised funding is largely destined for infrastructure projects, which cannot be actioned without a new cabinet.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
