French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Lebanese leaders of “mass betrayal” for their failure to form a government following a massive bomb blast at the port of Beirut in August.
In a rare news conference dedicated to Lebanon on Sunday, Macron criticized Lebanese political elites for prioritizing the selfish interests of their country.
“They have decided to betray with this commitment [to form a government]”It’s a shame for the country’s leaders,” Macron told reporters.
Maron Crowe has repeatedly urged Lebanese leaders to form a government, requiring a reform cabinet if aid is to flow to rebuild the country.
Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Mustafa Adib resigned on Saturday after failing to form a government.
“I see that the Lebanese authorities and political forces have chosen to support their partisanship and personal interests to the detriment of the general interest of the country.”
Maron Crown said there was no Lebanese leader – where, following the 1975-1990 civil war, power was traditionally divided between Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims and Christians – the task was assigned.
“They all rely on the worst case scenario to protect themselves, their family or their clan’s interests.”
“Therefore, I have decided to take note of this mass betrayal and refusal to join the goodwill of Lebanese officials.”
‘Last chance’
Macron issued a warning to the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah, which was monitored by the outgoing government, and some analysts accused it of carrying out the process.
Hezbollah should not think that “it is more powerful than it is … it should show that it respects all Lebanese. And in recent days, it has clearly shown the opposite,” Macron said.
“There is a question that Hezbollah and myself need to ask. Is it really a political party or does it go beyond the logic given by Iran and its terrorist forces? He added.
Mron Crown, who has visited Lebanon twice since the bombings, repeatedly urged Lebanese not to waste too much time forming a government.
Hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded at the port of Beirut on August 4, killing more than 190 people, injuring thousands and wreaking havoc in large parts of the capital.
The tragedy sparked new protests against corruption and mismanagement, which would have led to the resignation of the previous cabinet.
He gave the Lebanese political class four to six weeks to implement the roadmap for political and economic reform set out on his last visit on September 1 and said he would commit to holding a donor conference for Lebanon in October. He declined to impose sanctions for the time being.
He said Lebanese officials would now have to take the last chance.
But Natasha Butler of Al Jazeera, reporting from Paris, said Macron could not stay with many options and did not specify what would happen if the “last chance” failed to deliver.
“He does not rule out the possibility of using French sanctions against some political leaders, if they are directly linked to corruption,” Butler said.
Al Jazeera’s Zina Khodre, reporting from Beirut, said billions of dollars were urgently needed to revive the economy in a country where five million people live in poverty.
“People are worried – they know that if there is no ‘credible government’, or a legitimate government in the eyes of the international community, the money will not flow into the country.”
