Lebanon crisis takes violent turn

Text by: Paul Khalifeh

Strict containment has apparently been effective in the face of the epidemic, but it has exacerbated the economic crisis. And as Lebanon begins a gradual return to normal, the dispute has resumed again.

Publicity

From our correspondent in Beirut,

Lebanon has managed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus by adopting a very strict containment plan, coupled with a night curfew, and by closing schools and universities by the end of February. In total, the country has counted 717 confirmed cases, 24 deaths and 120 recoveries. Results considered encouraging by the authorities who started, on April 27, a five-stage deconfinement plan, which runs until early June, with the reopening of schools for two months. The official patent and baccalaureate examinations have been maintained.

But scarcely had the deconfinement started when the protest movement started again. The clashes have left one dead and dozens injured since Monday, including 80 soldiers. An unprecedented increase in violence since the outbreak of the popular uprising on October 17, 2019.

An economic crisis that has become social

The economic and financial crisis that has hit Lebanon since autumn 2019 has worsened in recent weeks and has turned into a social crisis. In just a few days, in mid-April, the Lebanese pound lost more than 20% of its value against the dollar; prices have increased by more than 50%; unemployment has exploded, accentuated by the cessation of economic activity due to the pandemic.

All of this has been added to the heavy pressure the Lebanese have been under since October, including the impossibility for them to have their savings or withdraw currency from their bank accounts .

Living conditions are becoming very difficult for large swathes of the population, 50% of whom live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Many families can no longer make ends meet.

This sum of frustrations can explain this unleashing of violence, directed mainly against the banking sector. Again on Wednesday, like Monday and Tuesday, the protesters attacked bank branches , which they burned or vandalized in several regions of the country.

Fears of instrumentalization

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said during the Council of Ministers meeting that certain parties were seeking to provoke sedition between the army and the population. He added that the security services knew the names of the ringleaders, and several of them were reportedly arrested by the security services.

Has the government opted for repression? Everyone in Lebanon recognizes the legitimacy of the protesters' demands. But authorities suspect some parties of trying to instrumentalize the protesters' anger.

The resumption of the dispute coincided with a political campaign launched by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Druze leader Walid Joumblatt and Christian leader Samir Geagea. These three personalities accuse Hassan Diab and his government of being controlled by Hezbollah and by the Free Patriotic Current, the Christian party founded by the President of the Republic and today led by his son-in-law Gebran Bassil.

Authorities say supporters of Hariri, Geagea and Joumblatt are pushing for road closures in their respective strongholds and inciting people to demonstrate. But the latter deny it.

Financial aid and the government's vast reform plan

In the short term, the government has started to pay more than 100,000 families financial assistance of £ 400,000, or just under $ 100. In the long term, he prepared a vast reform plan, which he must finalize this Thursday, to submit it to international institutions and donors, after the decision to suspend payment of the debt , taken in March.

This plan provides for a restructuring of the banking sector with a drain on large accounts, which represent 2% of depositors. It also provides for the revival of the real economy, through a program to support the productive sectors.

Finally, a series of measures were adopted this week to fight corruption and recover public money stolen or transferred abroad. But the task will be difficult, since the opponents of the government are starting to organize themselves and the Parliament remains controlled by the traditional political parties.

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• Lebanon
• Economic crisis
• Coronavirus
• Social issues
• Confinement
• Hassan Diab

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