عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Lebanon: Aoun Says Caretaker Govt Unqualified to Run President’s Tasks

Lebanese President Michel Aoun (AFP)
Lebanese President Michel Aoun (AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanon: Aoun Says Caretaker Govt Unqualified to Run President’s Tasks

Lebanese President Michel Aoun (AFP)
Lebanese President Michel Aoun (AFP)

Lebanese President Michel Aoun stressed on Wednesday that the current caretaker government is incapable of running the duties of the President if efforts fail to elect a new head of state on time.

The President affirmed that he will leave the Baabda Presidential Palace on October 31 at midnight when his term ends.

“At exactly, 12:00 am on October 31,” Aoun will leave for his home in Mount Lebanon’s Rabieh area, he told media outlets. At that point, he said he hopes to “hand over the (presidential) palace to a new President, if this is not possible, to an authentic government with complete specifications and powers."

In 2016, Aoun was elected President of Lebanon ending a vacuum at the top state post that lasted for 29 months. His term ends on October 31, after six years of rule full of crises.

However, Aoun said the current caretaker government of PM Najib Mikati is not qualified to run the tasks of the President if a new head of state is not formed by then, and that he might have another plan in that case.

“This government is not qualified to take over my powers after the end of my term. I believe it does not have the national legitimacy to replace the president, and therefore unless a president is elected or a government is formed before October 31, and if they insist on embarrassing me, there is a question mark regarding my next step and the decision I will take then,” stated Aoun.

On the delayed formation of the cabinet, Aoun said the obstruction is “deliberate so that the (caretaker) PM and his associates be in control of the country through a caretaker government that does not meet the conditions for replacing the head of state. If such a repulsive situation arises, I will not bow to it and I will face it.”

On June 23, Mikati was tasked to form a new cabinet, but his efforts have failed so far.

The President concluded by expressing “readiness to cooperate in order to form a government as soon as possible,” but also emphasized that he will never accept a government incapable of facing the responsibilities and challenges ahead.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)

A comparison of the current human and material losses from the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict with those from the July 2006 war shows that current losses have doubled.

Experts warn that the reconstruction funds and aid pledged to Lebanon 18 years ago may have limited impact once the war ends.

Total Losses

Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher from Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the death toll has risen from 900 in 2006 to 2,865 in the current conflict (as of October 31, 2024), with the number increasing daily. The number of wounded was 4,000 in 2006, but it has now exceeded 13,047.

In 2006, 600,000 people were displaced, while today that number has surpassed 1.2 million. Of these, 189,174 are in shelters. A total of 358,133 Syrians and 172,604 Lebanese have fled to Syria, and 120,000 have sought refuge in other countries.

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam estimated that Lebanon’s total economic losses from the current conflict have reached $20 billion. However, economic associations report direct losses between $10 billion and $12 billion, covering damage to key sectors, homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

These figures align with estimates from Shamseddine, who believes direct and indirect losses are around $10 billion.

Of this, $4 billion occurred from October 8, 2023, to September 17, 2024 (when the conflict was mostly limited to the south), and $7 billion from September 17 to October 31, 2024, after Israel expanded the war. For comparison, losses during the 2006 war totaled $5.3 billion.

In 2006, infrastructure damage was valued at $900 million, higher than the current war's $570 million in infrastructure losses.

Housing losses in 2006 totaled $2.2 billion, while they have now surpassed $4.26 billion. Mohammad Shamseddine points out that commercial losses were similar in both conflicts, at $4.7 million.

Agricultural and environmental losses in 2006 were $450 million, but now exceed $900 million. Indirect economic damages were $1.2 billion in 2006, while they have now surpassed $3.38 billion.

One notable difference is the number of airstrikes: from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2024, there were 11,647, compared to just 3,670 during the 33-day 2006 war.