Lebanon ushered in a new political stage following the devastating August 4 explosion that rocked the capital Beirut.
The blast set a priority to rebuild the city and secure shelters to around 300,000 people whose homes were destroyed, political figures told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The politicians, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said that the reconstruction should top the agenda of politicians.
They pointed to the great efforts exerted by French President Emmanuel Macron to secure a political and reconstruction safety net for Lebanon, because without it, the country would be again drawn into the traditional political bickering that would only exacerbate the current crisis.
The politicians also noted that the French president launched his initiative immediately after the explosion, “as if the disaster had befallen France, due to President Michel Aoun's inaction because he put the country in confrontation with the international community, a number of Arab countries and with the main political components.”
The same political sources hinted at attempts for former Prime Minister Saad Hariri to assume the premiership after the resignation of Hassan Diab’s government. But they emphasized that those attempts do not express Hariri’s position.
The political figures noted that the current efforts, instead, should focus on how to benefit from the international community’s mobilization to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon in order to stop the economic and financial collapse.
They said that the wave of international support has opened a window of opportunity that should not be neglected.
Based on these considerations, the sources noted that Hariri was avoiding to talk about the next government, pending the full implementation of Macron’s initiative and the agreement over a clear roadmap for the next stage.
