The United Nations and its Special Coordinator for Lebanon have outwardly and openly condemned the Lebanese politicians for their inability to form a representative government based on the public’s demands since October 2019 when the revolution started.
Since the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, two-weeks into the peaceful demonstrations across Lebanon, little progress has been made with regard to Government formation.
First came a wave of nominees for the position of Lebanon’s Prime Minister who “pulled out” at the last minute.
Then came a wave of postponed consultations, stalling and, even more so, disagreements over particular ministers and the ministries they will head.
And since the appointment of Hassan Diab as premier, he has further struggled to bring together an already broken system and come out with the technocratic government the people have asked for, and the people were promised.
Lists have been circulating for over a week about appointed Ministers amid mass criticism from both the international community, the united nations, and the International Support Group for Lebanon.
And Speaker Nabih Berri is not having it. According to reports by Al-Joumhouriyya, Berri reportedly considered the latest tweets of the UNSCOL as an “interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs and sovereignty.”
He explained: “With all due respect for all international delegates and representatives in Lebanon, the statement of Kubis is interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs and is not acceptable, not in form nor in content.”
Jan Kubis famously denounced in a tweet “acts of vandalism by protesters” targeting the country’s banks. But Kubis also openly criticized the political class’ management of the country’s escalating crisis, stating that those responsible for handling it “are watching it collapse.”
He has also commented on the “use of force” against protesters and journalists after meeting Caretaker Interior Minister Raya el-Hassan.
“Excessive use of force against protesters is unacceptable, action must be taken also to prevent future excesses,” he said in a tweet, further stressing that the “anger of the people is understandable, but it is different from vandalism of political manipulators; that must be stopped.”