The path to a new Lebanese government is completely blocked, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said in comments published on Tuesday, but he held out hope that French President Emmanuel Macron might be able to help in a forthcoming visit.
Fractious politicians have been unable to agree on a new government since the last one quit in the aftermath of the August 4 Beirut port explosion, leaving Lebanon rudderless as it sinks deeper into economic and financial crisis.
#LebaneseArmy troops were deployed near the home of parliamentary Speaker #NabihBerri on Saturday as protesters targeted people they believe are a “privileged elite” https://t.co/1NnVm5WcIn pic.twitter.com/1Uu5qWG7P6
— Arab News (@arabnews) December 13, 2020
“The situation is not comforting at all (in Lebanon). We have entered a tunnel and I do not know how we are going to get out of it,” Berri told al-Joumhuria newspaper.
“We are in a pitiful situation. The government situation is completely blocked.”
Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun aired their differences over the government in statements on Monday, each blaming the other for the delay.
“Why this blockage? The answer certainly lies with the president and prime minister-designate,” said Berri, an ally of the armed Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
“God willing, the French President Emmanuel Macron will be able to do something in his coming visit. We can only wait.”
Macron is due to visit Lebanon later this month, his third visit since the devastating port explosion which worsened an economic crisis.
Caused by decades of corruption and bad governance, the financial meltdown is the worst crisis to hit Lebanon since its 1975-90 civil war.
Following the blast, Macron led efforts to get Lebanese politicians to agree on a new government which could enact reforms and in turn unlock international support.
But Lebanese leaders have delivered no reforms.
Amal supporters protesting against corruption in #Lebanon - Nabih Berri, speaker of the parliament and head of Amal party is identified to be one of the most corrupt figures in Lebanon. So which corruption are they protesting against exactly?!pic.twitter.com/Po1QCqicww
— Luna Safwan - لونا صفوان (@LunaSafwan) December 14, 2020
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Lebanon’s political and economic collapse was like the sinking of the Titanic, only without the music which it is believed the orchestra played as the ship went down.
