UN Official: Lebanese Leaders Impede New Government Formation

The United Nations ( UN) Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, considered that Lebanese political leaders are obstructing the formation of the new government of the country.

They disregard the complicated financial, economic, monetary problems and living crisis that Lebanon is witnessing.

The UN coordinator said that the financial, economic, and banking system in Lebanon is in a state of catastrophic chaos, civil peace has begun to deteriorate, and the frequency of incidents and security unrest is escalating.

He warned that the foundations of the entire Lebanese state are in a state of shake, while political leaders are waiting for Joe Biden, but this is Lebanon, not the United States of America.

The process of forming the new Lebanese government is complicated in light of the disagreements of the political forces involved in the formation of the government and the lack of agreement among them, especially between President Michel Aoun and his political team (the Free Patriotic Movement headed by MP Gebran Bassil) on the one hand and the Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.

On the other hand, regarding the distribution of ministerial portfolios among the main sects, the size of the ministries that each team will receive, their quality, and the names that will occupy the portfolios.

A number of Lebanese politicians considered that the forces involved in the process of forming the new government, especially Hezbollah, were obstructing the formation of the government until Joe Biden assumed power in the United States of America on January 20.

Lebanese politicians believe that the new US president's policy would be different with regard to the Middle East region, including Lebanon.

However, the Lebanese Druze political leader Walid Jumblatt, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, said that the horizon is blocked in the path of forming the new government, holding the main and influential political forces responsible for obstructing the formation of the government, led by the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement headed by MP Gebran Bassil and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.