News Analysis: Regional developments facilitate gov't formation in Lebanon: analysts

Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-01 04:04:44|Editor: yan
Video PlayerClose

by Dana Halawi

BEIRUT, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The eventual formation of a 30-member cabinet in Lebanon on Thursday after a nine-month political deadlock was facilitated by regional developments, analysts said.

The hurdles in the way of cabinet formation in Lebanon and the solutions to these obstacles have always been associated with regional developments, they added.

"The situation in Lebanon is always tied to the region. Lebanon reflects the problems that prevail in the Arab world," Hilal Khashan, chair of the Political Studies Department at the American University of Beirut, told Xinhua.

Khashan said the distribution of the portfolios was done internally but the decision to allow the government formation came outside Lebanon.

He explained that Russia aims to reintegrate Syria in the Arab world but it needs a mechanism to do so and the formation of the government in Lebanon is a helpful factor.

"When the government is formed in Lebanon, it will be able to make decisions including the one to open up to Syria. When Lebanon opens up to Syria, other Arab countries such as Egypt and Algeria will be eager to do so," he said.

"This facilitates Russia's mission to reintegrate Syria in the Arab League," Khashan added.

However, according to Khashan, Saudi Arabia was not facilitating the government formation process in Lebanon because it did not want Hezbollah, Iran's proxy, to be allowed into the government.

"Saudi Arabia was trying to build an Arab alliance against Iran," he explained.

But Saudi Arabia's capacity to obstruct the government formation in Lebanon decreased as the kingdom itself is busy with handling internal affairs and international pressures after the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the analyst added.

Sami Nader, director of Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs in Lebanon, agreed that foreign intervention has always been there when it comes to government formation.

According to Nader, the need of Hezbollah, Iran's strong arm in Lebanon, in a national unity government as a shield against international pressure is one of the motives behind removing the obstacles to government formation.

"Israel's recent campaign in the United Nations Security Council is a proof of that," he said.

On Dec. 19 last year, Israel called on the UN Security Council to act against Hezbollah after the discovery of four tunnels allegedly dug by the militant group into northern Israel.

Samir Atallah, also a political analyst, said external influence not only led to the formation of the government in Lebanon, but also posed a great challenge to the work of the new government.

"There are so many external powers intervening in Lebanon's affairs which will most likely hinder the work and achievements of the new government," Atallah said.

For Nader, the major challenge that will face the new government is the economy which is on the verge of collapse.

"The government has to introduce major reforms to reduce fiscal deficit by decreasing public expenditure and increasing its revenues without hiking taxes," he said.

But Khashan believed the main challenge for the new government is the public debt that has reached an alarming level.

Meanwhile, normalization of ties with Syria is also one of the big challenges facing the new government.

Although Lebanon has not cut diplomatic or trade ties with Syria, it has kept relations at "arm's length," avoiding official contacts with the Syrian government.

But some political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement, have been pushing the government into normalizing ties with Syria in a bid to solve the issue of Syrian refugees and their safe return.

However, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he refused to visit Syria or meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Hariri is a long-time supporter of the Syrian opposition and has often been outspoken about his desire to see Assad removed from power.

However, analysts believe Lebanon's ties with Syria will have to be restored sooner or later which are in the interest of both countries.

"Lebanon needs to have good relations with Syria. It is the only breathing lung for Lebanon. Lebanese products exported to the Gulf will have to go through Syria," Khashan said.

Despite the big challenges facing Lebanon, analysts believe no major change will come with the formation of the new government.

"Political parties will exchange favors. But there will be no miracle for a big change in Lebanon," Atallah said.

Nader agreed that there will be no big hopes for real reforms in Lebanon.

"These are the same forces coming back to power. The current and old government have the same political parties. What we need is to change the governing system because the current system is conducive to corruption," he noted.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011105521377905011