• Hariri’s office says caretaker PM seeking to avoid adding problems to current crisis

Najia Houssari

BEIRUT: The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis accused Lebanese politicians of “trying to buy time” after crucial parliamentary talks to nominate a replacement prime minister faced a further delay. 

Discussions due to take place on Monday were postponed an hour beforehand amid a widening rift between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) on one side and caretaker PM Saad Hariri on the other.

It is the second time talks over the replacement leadership and composition of the new government have been delayed. 

More than seven weeks after Hariri quit as prime minister, politicians are still unable to agree on a new administration despite the deepening financial crisis facing the country. 

Kubis warned that “with a collapsing economy, buying time to form a government is a risky hazard for politicians, but even more so for Lebanon and its people.”

Plans for parliamentary talks on Monday fell into confusion following the Christian-based Lebanese Forces’ refusal to nominate a new prime minister. The party said that it will only approve “a government of independent experts trusted by the people.”  

Aoun postponed the discussions until Thursday after Hariri asked for “more consultation on the government’s formation.”

Moustafa Allouch, a member of the Future Movement’s political bureau, told Arab News that Hariri is refusing to lead a government without the backing of the Christian vote.

“Hariri doesn’t want to face accusations of lacking a national consensus,” Allouch said.

However, Hariri’s office said that the caretaker PM was seeking “to avoid adding national and constitutional problems to the social, economic and financial crisis in Lebanon.”

Pierre Raffoul, Aoun’s political adviser, launched an unprecedented attack on Hariri, saying the caretaker PM “wants to eliminate everyone.”

“We are not in a dictatorial country and such things do not work here,” he added.

Raffoul said that “if the parliamentary consultations had taken place, Hariri would not have been able to form the government.

“Today, we are standing at a crossroads; to stay or not stay. Our solidarity can save the country, but Hariri wants to work alone and he cannot acknowledge the presence of anyone else,” he said.  

The FPM also called on Hariri to “act swiftly to designate a person to lead the government ... and save the country from its current crisis.”

With no end in sight to the political impasse, street protesters in Beirut have faced intensified violent attacks from armed “infiltrators,” according to Rayya Al-Hassan, caretaker interior minister.  

Activist Ziad Abdel Samad told Arab News that “infiltrators among the protesters are trying to attack the movement, but as long as there is no political solution, we are staying in the streets.”  

Tents in Martyrs’ Square in the capital were set alight during clashes late on Sunday night.

Former PM Fouad Siniora was forced to flee a music concert at the American University of Beirut on Sunday night after students chanting “revolution, revolution!” demanded that he leave.

Siniora tweeted on Monday: “History will prove that I have always worked for the interest of my country. Today, I stand resilient alongside the Lebanese, just like I did in the times of peace, war and revolution.”