As if the poverty and deprivation faced by Tripoli were not enough, fate has come to exacerbate its suffering, shining a light once again on the state's shortcomings in monitoring dilapidated and potentially collapsing buildings. The incident of the building collapse in Tripoli has occupied the minds of Lebanese and mobilized officials, yet one thing is required: proactively preventing such incidents by conducting technical inspections of old buildings, which is primarily the responsibility of the state and secondarily of the municipalities, without exempting residents from the responsibility of reporting any building flaws.
In politics, the designated Prime Minister to form the government, Najib Mikati, begins today his non-binding consultations at the Parliament, with indications emerging that there are many obstacles to formation based on the positions of various political forces that, in every similar event, seek to fight over "lucrative" ministries or what they call sovereign ones. Political sources viewed Lebanon as facing a final chance. Either a government is formed that begins to implement the minimum required reforms to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund and save the collapsed economy, or Lebanon faces severe consequences amid the winds of change sweeping across the region.
The sources anticipated that the French envoy Pierre Dukan would convey a strongly worded message to Lebanese officials, urging them to form a government as soon as possible before it's too late. They questioned whether the obstructors realize the seriousness and sensitivity of the crisis to facilitate the designated president's mission and give him the freedom to form the government, or if they would continue their approach of procrastination and blackmail for personal gain, as in every previous instance.
Deputy Walid Baarini indicated to "Anbaa" electronic that the Northern MPs Bloc named President Mikati from the beginning, and he is going into the consultations with a unified stance and an open mind, wanting to ask questions, express opinions, and listen to Mikati's views from all angles. He added that Lebanon is a country of surprises, and they remain optimistic despite all the negative atmosphere, hoping that Mikati succeeds in forming a government and restoring trust in the country, while also ruling out the formation of the government for a thousand reasons. He stated: "As long as there are opportunists and exploiters, and significant blocs chasing gains, there is no hope for building the state," revealing that the bloc wishes to be represented by two ministries but, due to bad intentions and rampant sectarian division, things will remain unchanged because some prioritize their private interests over the interest of their country.
For his part, independent deputy Yassin Yassin confirmed that change-seeking deputies would not participate in the government, noting their clear stance on the matter. He stated through "Anbaa" electronic: "When the country collapses and people's rights become luxuries, we have the right to demand the cessation of economic collapse and the full implementation of the recovery plan, without touching state assets. Protecting citizens is a priority along with ensuring food security, healthcare, and medicine, and reopening the investigation into the August 4 crime to reveal the truth and adopting a foreign policy that serves Lebanon." He rejected the principle of national unity governments that have proven their failure, demanding the formation of a government of independents not affiliated with parties or technocrats.
Deputy Adnan Tarablsi from the Project Association refrained from discussing the nature of Mikati's consultations, awaiting the proposals and positions from the parliamentary blocs, considering that the situation is very unclear. He asked, "What will be the stance of the deputies who refrained from nominating the designated president, and why did they participate in the elections and become deputies?" He hopes that, in the coming days, the truth will become clearer.
With hopes that statements, positions, and wishes will not vastly outweigh actions, as the Lebanese need work and honesty in accomplishments to save them from the quagmire where the country has been stuck for three years and is still struggling to find its way out.
