Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met at "Center House" with former Prime Ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora, and Tammam Salam, during which they touched on the latest political developments and the general situation prevailing in the country.

Al-Diyar Newspaper: Hariri resorts to sectarian alignment and accuses Aoun of obstructing him...

Baabda: We will not accept the principle of triangulation.

The Parliament’s Monetary Fund: Do not divide the economic recovery and reform plan.

13 June 2021

(See Translation in Arabic Section)

Lebanon - Al-Diyar newspaper wrote: Yesterday, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri would have apologized for forming the future government, had it not been for the insistence of the Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, not to take this step, demanding Hariri for more deadlines, especially on the part of Berri, who is striving hard for the success of his government initiative, backed by Hezbollah and recognized by the rest of the political parties.

To this moment, the government contracts are still the same, as the problem of naming the two Christian ministers and the issue of the Strong Lebanon bloc giving confidence to the Hariri government has not yet been overcome.

On the other hand, it was prominent what was issued by the International Monetary Fund in terms of the "Capital Control" law, or what is known as the law on restricting the movement of capital, as the Fund considered that there was no need to approve this law at present, especially since it is not accompanied by a package of reforms, the most important of which is what regarding the exchange rate. Financial experts saw this statement as a clear message to the Lebanese Parliament, which is quick to approve it, that reforms are not managed by "a piece."

On the other hand, the living conditions and the crisis of gasoline and other fuels remain unchanged despite the announcement by the Banque du Liban that it has given approval to unload 7 ships in the past 48 hours, as there are still queues of cars in front of gas stations in a scene that is humiliating to the Lebanese people, to say the least. In the field of medicine, the movement of the Minister of Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan, to raid warehouses to secure medicine to pharmacies has not succeeded so far, which in turn announced a general strike in response to the call made by the gathering of pharmacists, to warn that “health security has become seriously threatened.”

Governmental path: Where are you going?

Prime Minister-designate Hariri still insists that the nomination of the two Christian ministers be from his share, in addition to his requirement to obtain prior approval from the head of the Strong Lebanon bloc, Gebran Bassil, to give him confidence in his promised government. On the other hand, Bassil calls for agreement on a mechanism for naming the two Christian ministers. Bassil also considers that giving confidence is linked to the government's ministerial statement and is not given in advance.

In this context, informed Christian sources believe that what Hariri is trying to impose transcends all norms and undermines the equality enshrined in the National Accord Document of the Taif Agreement, as what is happening today is a triad within the government. On the one hand, the Shiite duo and its allies get 8 ministers, the strongest Sunni pole, i.e. Hariri, gets 8 ministers, and the strongest Maronite pole, i.e. President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, gets 8 ministers. These sources considered that what the government is preparing for him is a convincing triangle, and all Christian forces must reject it, rise above the presidential and electoral accounts, and raise their voices loudly in the face of what is happening. The sources also questioned the position of His Beatitude Maronite Patriarch Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi and his silence regarding what is happening, stressing that Al-Rahi will not accept what is happening if the full picture is clarified to him.

The same Christian sources saw that the turn around that took place around Prime Minister Hariri, whether he was in the Dar al-Ifta or in his house, during his reception of the so-called Club of former Heads of Government, in addition to the high-ceilinged political content of the Dar al-Ifta’s statement. It facilitates the process of authorship, but rather puts it in the context of a sectarian conflict that may complicate the process of forming a government more than it is complicated. Therefore, the sources confirm that President Aoun and Bassil will not succumb to all this sectarian animosity and will not accept, under any justification, the waiver of parity and acceptance of the principle of triangulation in the government, as any retreat in this area may open the door to triads in other institutions. The sources say that the Christians accepted the principle of parity in Taif, but that the Syrian guardianship of Lebanon and the exploitation of some leaders of their relations with the Syrian regime disrupted the principle of parity and confiscated the Christian decision, and this is what President Aoun will not accept, especially during his reign. The sources conclude that Prime Minister Hariri is taking advantage of the collapsed economic situation and the living crisis today to pass a political agenda that requires imposing new norms in the government formation process and the sectarian balance within it, most notably his attempt to take a government share of Christian seats. .

IMF to Parliament: Reform is not a “piece”

It was remarkable what the International Monetary Fund announced in the past 48 hours regarding the Finance and Budget Committee’s approval of the Capital Control Law and its transfer to the General Assembly of the House of Representatives and its approval, where the Fund said that it does not see the need for Lebanon to implement the Capital Control Law now. Without support or appropriate fiscal and other exchange rate policies.

The International Monetary Fund spokesman also expressed his belief that "the capital control proposals and the withdrawal of deposits in Lebanon need to be part of broader policy reforms."

In the context of the subject, French sources considered, in an interview with Al-Diyar, that the Fund sends a clear message to the Parliament, especially to the Finance and Budget Committee, that the reforms are not “menu a la carte”, considering that the Fund wants the Capital Control Law to be part of a package of reforms approved by the House. Parliament through the economic recovery plan previously approved by the government of President Hassan Diab and supported by the International Monetary Fund.