Amid the negligence of officials and their glaring inability to secure even the minimum necessities for the citizens' lives, crises are escalating that disrupt the lives of Lebanese people. The most dangerous of these is the bread crisis, which appears to be signaling worse times ahead if the concerned parties do not act quickly to put an end to it, threatening a breakdown of order and leading the country toward collapse. The flour and wheat file is now reeking of deals and commissions handled by close associates and overseers of this sector, in addition to signing blank "vouchers" to be distributed among loyalists. It seems that this Lebanese citizen is destined to witness such humiliation while being bound hand and foot, powerless to act.
On the other hand, the caretaker government has failed to find common ground to resolve the public sector employees' strike that has been ongoing for a month and a half; the country is paralyzed, the nation is dying, and Lebanese citizens are queuing outside embassies, bakeries, fuel stations, banks, pharmacies, and cooperatives, while officials are distracted by trivial matters and disregard those who entrusted them with their confidence just three months ago.
Amid these bleak circumstances, French envoy Pierre Dukan continues his rounds with officials, hoping to glean something that satisfies his curiosity, coming across changes in the behavior of officials. This is happening on the eve of the explosion anniversary at the port and a month before the presidential elections, which take precedence over other issues. Political sources indicated to "Anbaa" that Dukan warned during his meeting at the Pine Palace with the head of the Administrative and Justice Committee, MP George Adwan, and the head of the Finance and Budget Committee, Ibrahim Kanaan, about the consequences of not passing the required reforms soon before entering the presidential election phase. Lebanon would then lose the moment of international attention it currently has, making it imperative to proceed with required reforms, as the losses would be very significant.
The accompanying sources reported Dukan emphasizing that the approval of the banking secrecy law in the last parliamentary session is insufficient to restore international trust in Lebanon, the banking system, restructuring, and passing the capital control law, as well as finding a solution for Lebanese deposits and judicial reforms.
On another note, political sources warned against infringing upon the poor's bread, as it could ignite civil unrest leading to dire consequences. The Ministry of Economy has been accused of collusion and trafficking in flour vouchers, revealing to "Anbaa" that the brother of one of the officials in the Ministry of Economy and the director of one of the related departments are involved in this scandal. They warned that the World Bank may not approve a $150 million advance to purchase wheat amid rising corruption allegations in the distribution of wheat and flour.
Regarding the demarcation process and the return of American envoy Amos Hochstein, sources accompanying the demarcation process revealed to "Anbaa" that Hochstein is this time proposing a solution involving Qana against Karish, in exchange for compensation that Lebanon would pay to Israel. When Lebanon receives Qana, it means part of the field belongs to Israel, which is why Israel demands substantial compensation. However, the problem is that Lebanon has not yet confirmed the existence of oil and gas in Qana, making it difficult to make promises before confirming these resources. The sources disclosed that President Michel Aoun and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gibran Basil, are rushing to sign in September to save the reputation of the presidency, especially since the term is nearing its end without achieving anything in the past six years. Additionally, MP Basil seems to be cornered by sanctions imposed on him for more than a year, which have distanced him from the presidency, leading to expectations that Hochstein's mission will be complicated contrary to what is claimed.
