Time for Lebanon to Form Unity Government

By: Kayhan Int’l

It is now more than five months since the parliamentary polls were held in Lebanon with a turnout of fifty percent, yet the country is without the new government, as the outgoing prime minister, Sa’d al-Hariri, whom the Sunni bloc, as per the constitution wants to retain in his post, is still hesitating to form the cabinet because of undue pressures upon him by the US and Saudi Arabia – the two countries who hate to see a stable and thriving Lebanon.

On October 4, Hariri promised a week or ten days for naming the new cabinet, but this deadline has also expired, raising concerns amongst the various political parties and religious groups that something fishy is going on behind the scenes.

The doubts expressed by the parliamentary bloc of Lebanon’s legendry anti-terrorist movement, the Hezbollah, on the promise of the prime minister-designate to for the unity government, have come true.

It seems Hariri is still shaken by the humiliation he went through in Riyadh over a year ago when after being summoned to the Saudi capital he was forced by de facto ruler MBS (Mohamed bin Salman the self-imposed Heir Apparent of the senile King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz) to announce his resignation as Lebanese premier after being reportedly manhandled.

The Saudis and the Americans are scared stiff of the natural role played in Lebanon by that country’s popular movement, the Hezbollah, whose popularity spans religious and political lines, for its heroic defence of the country’s integrity and independence in the face of aggressions by the illegal Zionist entity.

Riyadh, Washington and their few accomplices have lost their sleep, especially after Hezbollah’s heroic role in helping the government of neighouring Syria beat off the terrorist attempt to take over the country. In vain, the US has resorted to a series of lies and accusations by branding Hezbollah as a ‘criminal’ and ‘terrorist’ organization, while the people of Lebanon dismiss all such allegations.

Even Hezbollah is unconcerned about the latest theatrics of the Machiavellian Trump Administration against it, and is confident that Washington cannot do a damn thing to dent its legitimacy and popularity in view of the mass public support it enjoys both at home and in the region. 

On May 6 Lebanon held its first parliamentary polls after nine years with over 500 candidates vying for the 128 seats. As per the results, Hezbollah and its political allies secured over half the seats – 67 to be exact – but for the sake of the country’s unity, peace, and stability, agreed to give concessions, provided its elected representatives receive a fair share of the ministries.

It is worth noting that Hezbollah’s allies include the Amal Movement led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the Christian Free Patriotic Movement founded by Aoun – two of the heavyweights in Lebanese politics.

This warrants the forming of a broad-based independent unity government that neither bows to Saudi pressures or kowtows to American dictates.

It is hoped that Hariri will summon the courage to take advantage of the sudden turn of events in the region following the ghastly murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabia and the resulting rift in Riyadh’s relations with godfather US, to announce the new government of Lebanon.

It is obvious that MBS has miserably failed yet once again, and this should enable Beirut confidently take the expected independent step for formation of the government, as all factors indicate the decline, downfall and demise of the over-inflated MBS.