A single legislative call, unprecedented devaluation of the national currency, division in the judiciary, the return to strike by employees and road blockades due to the deterioration of the crisis describe the economic, political and social reality of the first month of the year in the Levantine nation.
After more than four weeks on hold, the Lebanese Parliament repeated the same script of the previous sessions on the 19th and no candidate from the Maronite Christian community received the support of the majority of 128 deputies, to hinder the election of the new head of Condition.
In this context, blocs, leaders, organizations, parties and religious leaders insist on the need not to waste more time and resort to dialogue to designate the next president, far from individual interests and external pressures.
At an economic level, the Lebanese pound exceeded the threshold of 60 thousand for each US dollar in the informal market and the beginning of 2023 witnessed the increase in inflation, the rise in prices and the decrease in the purchasing power of citizens.
Closure of roads, avenues and roundabouts in different parts of the country demanded a solution to the economic collapse; meanwhile, teachers and public employees resumed the strike to demand better working conditions, fair wages and social compensation.
The return 13 months later of judge Tariq Al-Bitar to the investigation of the file of the explosion of the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020 caused a division in the judiciary due to accusations of violating the law and being under foreign influence.
At the same time, experts from France, Germany and Luxembourg completed in Lebanon the first phase in the cases of investigation of financial transfers carried out in those countries, with the intention of looking for clues about the assets of the governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, according to with local reports.
In the midst of this context, the Army denounced Israeli naval and air violations and for several days mobilized its forces to prevent land violations on the Blue Line, near the occupied territories.
During a three-day visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reiterated support for Lebanon and confirmed his country’s willingness to build and rehabilitate electric power plants, as well as donate fuel in order to ameliorate the crisis in the sector. .
Under an interim government and in light of the lack of political understanding, Lebanon is going through the fourth power vacuum after its independence, after the conclusion of the presidential term of Michel Aoun since the night of October 31.
lam/yma
