Crises-stricken Lebanon has failed to elect a president a total of 12 times since former President Aoun left office in October last year.
Members of the ‘Quintet Meeting’ in Doha on Monday called for measures to tackle ongoing obstacles in Lebanon where parliament has been unable to elect a president for months.
Representatives from the quintet—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, France, the United States, and Egypt—held their second meeting following similar discussions in February that were held in Paris, raising concerns over the country’s prolonged power vacuum as well as delays in an ongoing investigation into the Beirut Port explosion.
Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi represented the Gulf state during the latest round of talks in Doha.
The issue of the Lebanese presidency dominated the agenda at the Doha meeting, where the group stressed “the urgent need for Lebanon’s leadership to expedite presidential elections” in addition to the implementation of much-needed “imperative economic reform”.
The quintet also discussed “concrete options with respect to implementing measures against those who are blocking progress” in the election of a president.
“While our five countries underscored our commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, we noted with concern that nearly nine months after the end of President Michel Aoun’s term, Lebanon’s political leaders have yet to elect a successor,” the quintet’s final communique read.
The meeting took place amid efforts by French Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian to break Beirut’s deadlock. Le Drian also met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha on the sidelines of the quintet meeting.
“During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and the latest developments in the region, especially in Lebanon,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Months-long power vacuum
Crises-stricken Lebanon has failed to elect a president a total of 12 times since former President Aoun left office in October last year.
The latest delay has been widely attributed to differences over Hezbollah-backed, Christian politician Suleiman Frangieh, whose grandfather—also named Suleiman Frangieh—served as Lebanon’s president from 1970-1976.
Since the start of the year, potential candidates have emerged, including Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, seen by Lebanese media as the “preferred” candidate by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Qatar however repeatedly dismissed such claims and stressed the decision for who takes leadership remains in the hands of the Lebanese.
“It is crucial for Lebanese Members of Parliament to abide by their constitutional responsibility and proceed with the election of a president,” the diplomats at the meeting in Doha said.
They also noted that “it is imperative that Lebanon elects a president who embodies integrity, unites the nation, and puts the interests of the country first”.
The quintet also emphasised the importance of the implementation of the related United Nations Security Council Resolutions along with other international resolutions, including the National Accord Agreement, widely known as the The Taif Agreement.
The Arab League brokered the agreement in 1989 during discussions in Saudi Arabia, which led to the end of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war in Lebanon.
Economic recovery
The five-member meeting also underscored the need for the potential candidate to establish an “inclusive coalition to implement essential economic reforms, particularly those recommended by the International Monetary Fund.”
For four years, Lebanon’s economy has been facing its worst downfall since the civil war with the Lebanese Lira losing more than 90% of its value to the US dollar. In 2019, mass protests broke out in Beirut due to the lack of basic resources.
“Our countries are willing to work jointly with Lebanon to support the implementation of these reform measures,” the statement read, urging Lebanese leaders to immediately overcome Beirut’s political impasse.
Lebanon’s worst economic downfall was further exacerbated in 2020 during the Covid-19 outbreak and the deadly Beirut Port explosion.
To date, Lebanese are unable to access their savings from banks, leading to some incidents of bank break-ins for those desperate for cash.
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh is also facing an investigation in Lebanon, France as well as at least four other European countries over accusations of money laundering, embezzlement and bribery.
Delayed investigations
Meanwhile, the five-party members have called for investigations into the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and injured 6,000 others.
“We underscore the desperate need for judicial reform and implementation of the rule of law, especially in regard to the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion investigation,” the statement read.
The explosion rocked the vibrant capital city on 4 August 2020 due to some 2,750 tonnes of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate at the port, killing 218 people, according to Human Rights Watch.
At the time, Qatar had dispatched personnel from the Qatari Search and Rescue Team of the Lekhwiya, or Internal Security Force, to help with emergency rescue operations as many remained trapped under the rubble.
The Gulf state also sent aircrafts that carried fully equipped field hospitals with 500 beds straight to Beirut.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani personally donated $50 million to help rebuild the capital, with damages estimated to be worth at least $15 billion.
Reports that emerged in the aftermath of the blast suggested Lebanese officials had prior knowledge of the stored explosives since at least 2014, leading to accusations of deep corruption and “governmental negligence”.
To date, authorities have yet to hold any party to account for the deadly blast, however much of the blame was directed at the local Hezbollah movement, which had called for the removal of investigation lead, Judge Tarek Bitar.
Almost three years on, Beirut has yet to recover despite the billions of aid sent to the country.