A party of madness is what Lebanon is experiencing at all political, judicial, financial, living, and health levels. Alongside the madness of the dollar, which has surpassed 57,000, there is political madness obstructing the election of a president, leading to the destruction of state institutions one after another. The living madness is reflected in the rise of the dollar impacting the prices of food, consumer goods, fuel, and medicine. All of this fits into one category, while what is happening within the judicial system fits into another, effectively turning the country into an "insanity" in every sense of the word.
Judicial sources described in a communication with "Anbaa" that what is happening in the corridors of the Palace of Justice is a significant madness that Lebanese judiciary has not seen in its history, considering that what occurred in the past two days has not happened before either during the civil war or during the Syrian mandate.
In commenting on what is happening within the judiciary, MP Adib Abdel-Masih indicated that the current situation in the judiciary signals the end of the Lebanese system. When the judiciary conflicts as fiercely as politicians do, it means we've reached the end of the system. In an interview with "Anbaa", Abdel-Masih described the situation as "chaotic," where every judge wants to interpret the law according to their own whims. He stated: "It seems that Judge Tarek Bitar uncovered the threads of the game and it became clear that serious matters disturbed certain parties, and thus all hell broke loose. He expressed astonishment at the decision of the Chief Public Prosecutor to release all detainees, which of course created concern among the families of the victims who are demanding the truth.
Regarding the reaction of Chief Public Prosecutor Judge Oueidat in releasing all detainees, Abdel-Masih saw that Judge Bitar seemingly embarrassed Oueidat by releasing 5 detainees, prompting Oueidat to release all detainees, thus hitting two birds with one stone. He regarded what Oueidat did as merely a maneuver.
But what does the law say? Constitutional expert lawyer Said Malak considered in a call with "Anbaa" that what is happening is a party of madness and a complete dismantling of all laws, asking, "How can the Chief Public Prosecutor release all detainees in this manner? This entirely undermines the law, for he does not have the right to release detainees at the expense of a case that falls under the jurisdiction of the investigative judge." Malak stated: "When the Chief Public Prosecutor issues such a decision, it should be communicated to the judicial police," expressing sorrow over what has occurred, reiterating that it is a state of madness and affirming that what we are witnessing proves the incapacity of the Lebanese judiciary to investigate this file, bringing us to the demand for an international investigation and an international fact-finding committee because the Lebanese judiciary cannot settle this matter.
The position of the victims’ families was expressed by activist William Noun, brother of the martyr Joe Noun, who confirmed in a call with "Anbaa" that their stance today regarding what is happening in the judiciary is the same as it was at the moment of the explosion and has not changed. They are still demanding an international investigation because the Lebanese judiciary has unfortunately turned into a farm, and every judge has "opened a shop for their own sake," lacking any trust in anything, with what’s happening stemming from personal motives. Judge Oueidat does not have the right to release all detainees, and what he did is a crime against the judiciary. He announced a demonstration for them this morning in front of the Palace of Justice coinciding with a session of the Supreme Judicial Council.
A dangerous division is observed within the judiciary, setting a precedent that will have concerning repercussions on various levels, undermining citizens' trust in everything and leaving them without any protection or justice, as noted by the Justice Commission of the Progressive Socialist Party in its statement yesterday, relying on today's session of the Supreme Judicial Council to address the current chaos.
In a related context, former minister and head of economic bodies Mohammed Shuqair stated in a conversation with "Nidaa al-Watan" that "the situation is serious and there is a fear of the country slipping into the unknown with the ongoing alarming deterioration in all aspects of life driven by the rapid collapse of the lira against the dollar amid presidential vacancy and political paralysis."
Shuqair expressed surprise at the rapid devaluation of the dollar exchange rate over the past three days after a hopeful end to 2022 for economic sectors. The latter recorded good figures that were not anticipated post-summer and the Christmas and New Year holidays; even restaurants reopened and registered 30 new establishments, creating 450 job opportunities. However, for the last three days, the situation "collapsed"; witnessing a dramatic, frightening, and unexpected decline, which he believes has resulted from both external and internal interventions benefiting from destabilizing the situation for certain purposes, especially since things had not previously appeared to be so fragile.
While expressing concern about an impending social explosion "that will wipe everything out," he urged for urgent radical solutions before it’s too late, emphasizing that "the only solution to curb the ongoing deterioration is political stability, where electing a president is a cornerstone. This step alone could reduce the dollar exchange rate from 56,000 LBP to below 40,000 LBP because it would instill hope for entering the country into new horizons. Especially if followed by forming a government, ratifying pending reform laws, and signing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund."
He warned that "we are headed toward days more challenging for our food security than what we are currently witnessing if we do not sufficiently realize the importance of electing a president internally. As people until now are still meeting their needs for food and drink, if the collapse continues its rapid downward trajectory, what lies ahead will be greater."
