Western and regional powers have warned they will reconsider “all ties” with Lebanon if parliament fails to elect a president amid a worsening financial crisis, the prime minister's office said Monday.
Support for Lebanon will begin after the election of a new head of state and the implementation of reforms, said the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the United States and France.
They met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri a week after Paris hosted a meeting for representatives of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the US and France to address the Lebanese crisis.
The meeting ended with officials failing to reach an agreement and no official statement was released afterwards.
Monday’s delegation of western and regional officials included American Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea, French Ambassador Anne Grillo, Egyptian Ambassador Yasser Alawi, Qatari Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulaziz al-Sahlawi, and Counselor at the Saudi Embassy Fares al-Amoudi.
They stressed during their meetings that real support for Lebanon begins after the election of a president and after the reform process begins, said a statement from Mikati’s office.
They explained that failure to issue a statement after the Paris meeting was because the meetings remain open and ongoing to support Lebanon and encourage the election of a new president.
Berri’s office did not elaborate on the details of the meeting.
Informed sources, however, described the talks as “positive in that all sides agreed on the importance of speeding up efforts and reaching an agreement on electing a president.”
They told Asharq Al-Awsat that the officials did not discuss potential candidates, but they underscored the president’s agenda and the importance of the formation of a government that is capable of carrying out reforms.
Ultimately, the foreign envoys said it was up to the Lebanese officials themselves to assume their responsibilities in resolving the impasse as soon as possible.
They delivered a “strongly worded and unprecedented message” given the deadlock that has stretched on for over three months since President Michel Aoun’s term ended in October.
“Lebanon will not receive any aid before the elections are held,” they stated.
They were quoted as saying: “We are keen on Lebanon but we cannot replace the Lebanese people and the responsibility lies on the lawmakers.”
“If they don’t elect a president, then the situation will go from bad to worse,” they warned, according to the sources.
They implied that a “negative stance” may be taken against those obstructing the polls.
They added, however, that they don’t favor any candidate over another, saying that their meetings will remain open.
The sources revealed that Berri had clarified to the delegation that he had previously called for dialogue to discuss the impasse, but some sides have rejected the suggestion.
The electoral sessions that have so far been held at parliament have become a “farce,” he was quoted as saying.
The necessary circumstances must be met for the elections to be a success, he added.
“We have weeks, not months, because the country can no longer tolerate more strain,” Berri warned.
A new president, he continued, must bring together the Lebanese people, not divide them, and he must be open to the international community.
The international community has long urged Lebanese leaders to end months of political wrangling and stem the financial meltdown.
But decision-making in Lebanese politics can take months of horse-trading between foreign-backed sectarian leaders, with Aoun's election in 2016 coming after more than two years without a president.
In the absence of political action, the market value of the Lebanese pound hit a new record low Monday of more than 68,000 to the US dollar.
The divided lawmakers have made 11 unsuccessful attempts to name a new president and have not convened since January 19.
Two Lebanese MPs have been holding a sit-in in parliament for nearly a month in hopes of jolting fellow lawmakers into action.
