The government lacks popular legitimacy, its only choice is to resign
The Lebanese National Bloc Party denounced the recent events in Lebanon, namely the suicide of a citizen in Arsal, the layoffs of many from their jobs or the decreases in salaries and of the purchasing value of salaries that now barely last for half a month. All this in light of a government that is ignoring the emergence of two markets for the exchange of the US dollar, a fact that is destructive to the economy, as well as being unable to provide the minimum requirements for the livelihoods of its citizens.
In a statement, the Bloc noted that under popular pressure, the government has decided to buy petrol products directly from the source to economize for the treasury, only to find out later that this is just another ruse. The petrol purchasing plan only covers 10% of the needed quantity and will be done through tenders that will bring the intermediaries back into the picture.
The Bloc reiterated that the current government that claims electoral legitimacy only had the votes of 48% of the voters in 2018. Those who voted are now paying the price for this government’s transgressions and lack of empathy for the pain of their constituents. Also noteworthy is the fact that the main condition to establish legitimacy in elections is freedom of choice and abstinence from nepotism and corruption.
In this context, the Bloc wondered if a voter is truly free when his choices are linked to a leader who humiliates the voter for services such as employment, hospitalization, and education, while these services are a citizen’s basic right. Is the voter free when he or she votes out of fear for those claiming to protect them from the others or for sectarian reasons? Additionally, is a sect or religion comprised of poor individuals or is it there for the benefit of those who lead it? Is the voter free when those wanting his or her vote fool him or her into thinking that he or she is voting for a sovereign Lebanon? What sovereignty is there when Lebanon’s fate is in the hands of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund?
After the 30 years of abject failure, the current government must resign and hand over the country to an independent, sovereign government of skilled specialists. The National Bloc stressed that the reasoning of having politicians to run public affairs has lapsed, and it wondered whether the management of the electricity file required a politician: wasn’t a politician responsible for the loss of 40 Billion USD for electricity that never reached the citizens?
The Bloc concluded its statement by asking the current government to realize that its only chance to save face is for it to resign and rehabilitate itself; the more it clings to its current position the more damage it will be doing to all of its components.