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As long as most political forces remain firmly entrenched behind their presidential candidates, refusing to take a step forward, the crisis will continue to deepen with no signs of relief. The current circumstances remain dire, and the prospects appear bleak, as stagnation has pervaded all facets of the nation.
The persistent obstruction of constitutional institutions is utterly unacceptable. The failure to elect a new president, despite months passing since the end of former President Michel Aoun’s term, is a glaring example of this obstruction. Moreover, the deterioration and stalemate affecting fundamental state institutions, coupled with the growing apprehensions regarding the uncertain financial prospects arising from the anticipated vacancy in the Central Bank of Lebanon’s governance, are of utmost concern.
The real solution lies in the election of a new president, which would help institutions normalize and revive the Constitution that had been suspended. Only then can we effectively address the obstacles encountered at each significant constitutional or political junction. Failing to do so will result in detrimental proposals infused with divisive tendencies, dragging Lebanon backwards and surpassing even the darkest chapters of the civil war, with all its harrowing consequences and dangerous pitfalls.
Political proposals that aim to exacerbate divisions along sectarian and denominational lines, without adequate foresight or sound judgment, will undoubtedly result in a recurrence of conflict and a further deterioration of the country on multiple levels. While the current formula may not be perfect and has struggled to effect meaningful change, it is also linked to the deliberate poor performance by some political parties, which prioritize their narrow interests at the expense of the greater national good.
Nowadays, the principles of the Taif Agreement are being distorted on an almost daily basis by federalists, separatists, and individuals with divisive agendas across the political spectrum. These actors rarely expressed dissatisfaction with the incomplete implementation of the agreement, which effectively ended the civil war during a singular juncture of global, regional, and Arab convergence. If local constraints are loosened and lead to further fragmentation and division, it will be difficult to recreate such a rare alignment.
Nonetheless, if the remaining provisions of the Taif Agreement, namely the elimination of political sectarianism, the establishment of a Senate to disengage parliamentary life from sectarian considerations, and the implementation of comprehensive administrative decentralization and balanced development, are sincerely pursued, the Lebanese landscape may witness significant positive transformations.
As for the other options, they will only lead to disastrous outcomes…
