US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that only a Lebanese government "capable and committed to real and concrete reforms will restore investor confidence and ensure international assistance", while Beirut looks to facilitate soft loans from international donors to finance purchases of wheat, fuel, and medicines. .
In a statement, Pompeo urged "the government, army and security services, to ensure the safety of citizens who participate in peaceful demonstrations."
He said, "The test before the new government in Lebanon will be its actions, and the extent to which it meets the aspirations of the Lebanese people to implement reforms and combat corruption."
"We are closely following and talking with the government about various economic alternatives," said US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin in Davos yesterday.
This comes at a time when the Lebanese newspaper "The Daily Star" quoted Lebanese Minister of Finance Ghazi Wazni as saying, yesterday, that his country is looking for arranging soft loans from international donors, ranging between four and five billion dollars to finance purchases of wheat, fuel and medicines. "This pumping will cover the needs of the country for a year," he added.
The new Lebanese government, which was formed last Tuesday, must deal with an unprecedented financial crisis that saw banks impose restrictions on withdrawals and transfers, and the Lebanese pound's decline against the dollar.
The government was formed with the support of Hezbollah and its political allies. The former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, or his party does not participate in the government.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri nominated the Minister of Finance, Zinni, for his position.
Foreign governments and institutions have always called on Lebanon to enact long-delayed reforms to reduce government waste and corruption, before granting the heavily indebted government of Beirut any new financial support.
In Davos, the former Lebanese Foreign Minister, Gibran Bassil, appealed to world leaders the day before yesterday to help save his country so that it does not turn into a "failed state", amid an escalating financial crisis.
Bassil, who heads the Free Patriotic Movement - the largest Christian political bloc in the Lebanese sectarian quota system for power-sharing, told Reuters: Lebanon is a model of coexistence that could be the "true antidote to terrorism" if it maintains its stability.
He added, "It is a country that we need to preserve in order to play that role and expand it, not to make it fail and become in the ranks of failed states. This will not help the Lebanese, this will not help any country in the region."
Analysts say the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah in the newly formed cabinet, also backed by Basil, could harm Lebanon's ability to obtain the foreign financing it needs to meet debt obligations and stabilize its financial system.
Basil, the powerful man and spouse of President Michel Aoun's daughter, became a prominent target of the protesters, who see him as a symbol of a corrupt political system that led the country to the brink of collapse through mismanagement and wasting public money.
His presence at the "Davos Forum" angered some Lebanese, who say he does not represent them, and they signed a petition saying that he does not represent them.
Basil rejected the accusations, describing them as "generalization" of corruption charges against the country's elite, and said, "I am the only person in Lebanon who has disclosed his account information, and no one has dared to do this."
He explained that he asked Switzerland, the United States, and other countries to help reveal financial transfers that belong to Lebanese public officials and political figures, and possibly illegal ones, as part of a broader effort to combat corruption.
"Let now a special committee at the central bank reveal all the accounts of politicians and public officials," Basil said.
UN official: Political purposes behind the violence of some protesters
A senior United Nations official said on the social networking site «Twitter» yesterday that the violence demonstrated by some protesters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, was apparently behind political purposes to undermine security and stability.
"This seems like a political maneuver to provoke the security forces, undermine civil peace, and stoke sectarian strife," he said, referring to attacks on security forces, looting of state institutions and private property. Beirut ■ Reuters
Paris calls for Lebanon to "urgent measures"
France yesterday urged the new Lebanese Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, to take "urgent measures to restore confidence" in Lebanon, as the street continues its protests against the political elites.
"The difficult situation that Lebanon is witnessing requires that the priority of the new government be to take urgent measures to restore confidence," said Agnes von der Mole, spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, in a statement.
She added, "The time has come for all Lebanese officials to act collectively in the interest of all Lebanese." Paris ■ AFP
- Gebran Bassil appealed to world leaders to help save his country so that it does not turn into a "failed state" amid a financial crisis.
- US Treasury Secretary: We are closely following and talking to the government about various economic alternatives.