French President Emmanuel Macron said that the leaders of Lebanon’s main political forces had agreed that a new government would take office in the country in the next fifteen days. And Macron continued at a press conference after meeting with representatives of the most prominent political forces at the French ambassador’s headquarters in Beirut on Tuesday night (September 1, 2020) who had also agreed on reforms in the electricity sector, capital control, audit of the financial sector and central bank accounts, and the fight against corruption and smuggling. .
“Now it is up to the Lebanese actors to agree on the technical aspects of the implementation of this plan,” said the French president. Macron added that there should be a political conference in Paris to monitor progress in the second half of October, in parallel with the proposed international aid conference under the auspices of the United Nations.
The French president stressed that a blank check will not be presented to Lebanon and that targeted sanctions will be imposed on the Lebanese authorities if they are shown to be corrupt. He added that this will be coordinated with the European Union.
In response to a question about Hezbollah, the French president said: “Now I can denounce Hezbollah and tell it that it must be denounced and disarmed, and you will continue with your problem without doing any useful work.” He added: “Yes, Hezbollah is present in its parliament, most likely due to intimidation, (…) and because other forces have not managed to rule the country,” indicating that “it can become stronger because it has means that other powers do not. possess “. But “it has supporters, and this is reality.” Macron said: “I am trying to be frank with you. A dialogue must be established with Hezbollah on this issue, and this is the dialogue I had an hour ago”, referring to the participation of MP Muhammad Raad, representing Hezbollah, at the meeting at Al-Sanawbar Palace. He added: “I am an idealist, which means that I am also a pragmatist.”
Regarding Charlie Bedou’s intention to republish the satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, he said he would not comment on this, adding that in France there are “freedoms in France, but we must also show respect and courtesy.” Macron stressed the need not to get carried away by hate speech.
After spending two days in Lebanon, Macron will travel to Iraq on Wednesday for his first visit to that country. French officials stated that Paris is concerned about the resurgence of the Islamic State in Iraq, as the organization benefits from political uncertainty in the country and competition between Iran and the United States in
Region.
S / S (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
Sedition of Mount Lebanon
Various denominations lived in the areas known today as Lebanon, especially in the Mount Lebanon region. But the most prominent sects were six: Maronites, Orthodox and Catholics, and on the other side the Druze, Sunnis and Shiites. The mountain remained under the control of the Ottomans, but it witnessed serious sectarian tensions, especially the massacres between Druze and Maronites in 1860. European powers intervened in the region, especially France, and Mount Lebanon, under European pressure, witnessed the establishment of the “mutasarrifiyya” system, which strengthened the Maronite presence.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
The rise of Greater Lebanon
After the Ottomans were defeated in World War I, France was able to impose its mandate on Lebanon after expanding it to include Bekaa and Beirut, as well as demarcation of the borders with Syria. Joseph Bahout says in an article on Carnegie that France aimed to create a quasi-national home for Christians in the Middle East, but Muslim sects vehemently rejected the new situation. Lebanon declared its independence in 1943 at the hands of President Bechara El-Khoury, but the evacuation of French forces did not occur until 1946.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
The National Charter
Lebanon’s declaration of independence witnessed what became known as the National Pact, which gave the presidency of the state to the Maronites, the post of prime minister to the Sunnis, and the presidency of Parliament to the Shiites. The purpose of the letter was to facilitate independence, so that Christians would not ask for the protection of France and Muslims would not demand unity with Syria. The letter was not drafted, but it has remained in force in the country since then, and observers believe it caused the sectarian problems in the country, as it was the basis of the quota system.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
Ending Shamon’s rule
Beirut has become a city that unites everyone since the years of independence, but the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli conflict cast a shadow over a country struggling to create its identity. Beirut welcomed thousands of Palestinian refugees as well as Arab immigrants and witnessed economic growth, but at the same time, warring Arab powers have focused their influence on the city ever since. However, the most prominent event that Beirut witnessed in the 1950s was the uprising against President Camille Chamoun, who had strong ties to the West.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
The Shehab era
Among Lebanon’s most respected presidents is Fouad Chehab, who ruled the country from 1958 to 1964 and rejected an extension despite his overwhelming popularity. During Shehab’s reign, much stability was achieved in the country, despite criticism directed at him by strengthening the role of the intelligence services after the coup attempt. Then came Charles Helou, who tried to follow Shehabi’s approach by not preferring any political party over another, but the country witnessed various economic problems during his reign, which paved the door for Suleiman Franjieh to succeed him.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
Civil war breaks out
Lebanon witnessed the signing of the Cairo Agreement in 1969 between the Palestinian factions in the refugee camps and the Lebanese state so as not to repeat skirmishes between the two parties, according to which the Palestinian armed presence in Lebanon was recognized. The Lebanese left supported the Palestinians, while the right, which was made up mainly of Maronite organizations, rejected them. With the rise of Palestinian influence, frictions with the right-wing forces multiplied and civil war officially broke out in April 1975.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
Beirut is on fire
Beirut was divided into the east, under the control of right-wing forces, and the west by Palestinians and left-wing forces. The sectarian rivalry between Muslims and Christians increased the war, especially with the social imbalances between them. The Syrian intervention increased the price of the war, as did Israel when it invaded Lebanon in 1982 and besieged West Beirut, prompting the evacuation of Palestinian militants, but the war did not end, and after that, clashes even broke out. within the allied parties.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
Hezbollah is victorious
The war officially ended in 1991, two years after the signing of the Taif Agreement. The war saw horrible massacres such as those of Karantina, Damour, Sabra and Shatila, and cameras documented horrible scenes such as the siege of Beirut and the war in the countryside. Subsequently, the Shiite organizations were strengthened, especially Hezbollah, which is linked to Iran, and the organization kept its weapons after the dissolution of all the militias, so the influence of the armed organizations of the right, left and Palestinian declined, and Syria ensured its continued presence in the country.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
The murders continue
Lebanon was relatively stable in the 1990s, but the millennium years saw armed clashes between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006, but the strongest earthquake was the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former prime minister who contributed to the reconstruction of Lebanon. One of the results of the assassination was the departure of Syrian forces as a result of what became known as the “Cedar Revolution”. In those years, the country witnessed the continuation of political assassinations in which accusations were brought against Damascus, such as the murder of communist George Hawi and journalist Samir Kassir.
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Lebanon turns 100 … from the sects of the mountains to a country on the brink of collapse
The Lebanon movement
For the first time in the country’s history, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese come out in 2019 to reject the sectarian quota system, demanding the departure of the political class as a whole. The protests took place in the face of the continuing deterioration of the economic situation and high rates of corruption, which led to the resignation of the Saad Hariri government and the formation of the Hassan Diab government, which in turn resigned following the bombing in the Beirut port, which killed nearly two hundred people. Report: Ismail Azzam
Writer: Ismail Azzam
