One year after the resignation of the Hassan Diab government, on August 10, 2020, 6 days after the explosion of the port of Beirut, Lebanon is still without a new cabinet despite the emergency situation in which it finds itself, between economic crisis , deterioration of the social situation, the fear of seeing the security situation or even now a political crisis.
After Mustapha Adib and then Saad Hariri withdrew, it was Najib Mikati’s turn to try to form a new cabinet. The latter would however come up against the various demands of political parties, between the finance ministry demanded by the Amal movement, or the interior and justice ministries all 2 claimed both by the former prime ministers on behalf of the community. Sunni and by the Presidency of the Republic against the backdrop of various court cases.
If Najib Mikati would like to keep the same distribution between religious sects, the Presidency of the Republic would demand the rotation of the various sovereign portfolios, in accordance with the French initiative, note sources close to the Baabda Palace, stressing that different files involving personalities close to the Speaker of the House Nabih Berri or even former prime ministers are in court. For its part, Sunni leaders believe that Baabda’s desire to control the interior ministry comes at a time when the latter will be in charge of organizing the legislative elections in May 2022.
Another crucial portfolio now is that of social affairs, on which the rationing program for the vulnerable population will depend, which could itself turn into an electoral tool. This ministry is now claimed by the former deputy Walid Joumblatt on behalf of the Druze community.
Over the past year, the Lebanese pound has also collapsed against the dollar, going from less than 8,000 LL / USD to more than 20,000 LL / USD. This degradation has led to a sharp loss in the purchasing power of the population, making more than 75% of it considered vulnerable.
