A new scandal splashes Lebanese politics

The economic situation in Lebanon is not looking any better. Determining the causes of a collapse such as the one Lebanon is going through is never easy. The blame cannot be laid solely at the door of the collapse of the local currency. Indeed, it is probably corruption and waste scandals that have led to the dire situation.

Not to mention, of course, the controversy that still surrounds the Beirut explosion, which is still under investigation nine months later, and it does not seem that the solution to the many unknowns that still exist will be resolved in the very near future. The scandal surrounding the devastating incident that killed 210 people remains a major issue in the country which, it should be recalled, took the Prime Minister Diab and his entire government, one of the triggers of the catastrophic phase Lebanon is facing.

Lebanon's political leaders seem incapable of forming a government and thus unblocking international economic aid. In a new turn of events in Lebanese political life, according to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, interim Prime Minister Hassan Diab reportedly presented his curriculum vitae to the Qatari authorities during an official visit.

Diab's visit to Qatar was intended to solicit aid for Lebanon, in particular funding for the ration card that the Lebanese government is considering to support some 750,000 families when subsidies are abolished. Diab, according to the Lebanese newspaper, intended to secure a job when his work in the interim government comes to an end.

This has sparked controversy among the country's ruling class. MP Jamil Al-Sayyed criticised the interim prime minister on his Twitter account, writing: "Diab wants a job with his personal qualifications, where is the shame? Is this an indication that Diab did not benefit from state corruption like most of his predecessors"?

Likewise, Lebanese journalist Ahmed Taha considered that "the news is a matter of mockery", political activist Ahmed Yassin also denounced Diab's attitude and wrote on Twitter, "Klopp Hassan Diab defends sending his CV to Qatari officials and considered that the problem is not providing a CV but is related to the exploitation of an official visit for personal gain, and his abuse of Lebanon's image with this behaviour!"

For her part, politician Myrna Zakharia in response to Al-Sayyed's statements, emphasised, "the mistake is in the timing and not in the request, because he can get this legitimate request once the job is finished, while the corrupt person who asks for the money can no longer collect his request after the end of the job."

Since Diab resigned after the Beirut explosion in August 2020, he remains Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, pending the formation of a new cabinet by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. While Lebanese leaders are unable to reach an agreement to form a government, the economic situation in the country has become untenable.

Diab himself during this controversial visit to Doha, during a press conference, said that Lebanon is going through a "dark tunnel" and that the country's problems are not limited to power outages, but extend to the living conditions and daily livelihoods of the Lebanese.

The country's economy has seen a deterioration in the value of the lira and the accumulation of financial debts exceeding $90 billion. The epidemic caused by COVID-19 has exacerbated the economic crisis, with hundreds of businesses closing their doors, leading to an exponential increase in the unemployment rate.