“Truly he is my rock and my fortress”
[Jul. 18. 2021] Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri (51) has announced his resignation due to political deadlock and an inability to form a new government, opening a long inevitable political vacuum, Yeonhap news reported on July 16.
Hariri expressed his intention of resignation after meeting the Lebanese President Michel Aoun for barely 20 minutes on the 15th of July (local time), saying it was obvious that the President and he would not be able to reach an understanding on the fundamental issue.
Hariri met with President Aoun the day before, handed over a list of 24 new ministers, and demanded answers by this day, but the President reportedly disagreed with the cabinet composition.
Hariri served as Prime Minister from 2009-2011 and was elected as Prime Minister in December 2016, but resigned again in 2019 after anti-government protests demanding reforms such as addressing unemployment and cleaning corruption.
In addition, after Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s cabinet stepped down in August last year after taking responsibility for the Beirut large explosion, Mustapha Adib had been designated to be the next Prime minister. However, he stepped down only a month later after failing to form a new cabinet, and Hariri was nominated as prime minister by President Aoun in October last year. He eventually announced his resignation after a 9 month-long dispute about cabinet formation.
Lebanon is nominally a presidential system (a six-year term of office) but is practically close to a cabinet system in which the Prime Minister is in control.
18 sects are intertwined, including Islamic Sunni and Shiite, Christian Maronism and Greek Purity and in accordance with the unique principle of the distribution of power, the President is assumed by Christian Maronists, the Prime Minister is an Islamic Sunni, and the head of the National Assembly is from an Islamic Shiite respectively. This kind of decentralized distribution of power is also criticized for corruption and inefficiency.
Lebanon’s economy is currently experiencing the worst crisis due to the long-term political vacuum, the Beirut explosion, and the stagnation of production activity caused by COVID-19. In particular, the value of the Lebanese pound is going down endlessly.
Lebanon had maintained a fixed exchange rate (1,507 pounds per dollar) since 1997 until the exchange rate has been approaching 20,000 pounds per dollar on the black market in recent years, which is bringing the local currency closer to a paper.
The plunging value of the pound has disrupted the energy and pharmaceutical imports, which led to the closure of pharmacies and power plants. Even the military, which had been policing amid of financial crisis, is in danger of collapsing.
Military authorities also request assistance from the international community, such as France, and operate military helicopters for tourism purposes as self-rescue measures. (Source: Yeonhap News).
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalms 62:1-2)
Father God, have mercy on Lebanon which is not able to overcome its financial crisis, epidemics, and social security for the people due to the continued resignation of prime ministers. When all failed just like the current state, may the people in Lebanon come and take refuge in Jesus Christ, our true help and fortress. May You establish a wise leader to serve Lebanon with the heart of LORD and, through the prayer of all nations, they may gain unshakable salvation.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
