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Give Lebanon govt time to make reforms work

The atmosphere was tense as Lebanon's Parliament gave the Hassan Diab government its vote of confidence. When the vote was on, in downtown Beirut, all hell was breaking loose. Lebanese security forces were busy dispersing people with tear gas and water cannons. Hundreds were injured.
Though the Lebanese have every right to be angry, they cannot ignore the fact that the protestors were raging against the same deputies that they had elected. But these are troubled times with the country on the brink of bankruptcy. Reforms are the need of the hour. Squabbling can wait.
The Lebanese are naturally frustrated with the state of affairs and are venting their rage over high inflation, rising unemployment, the migration of youth and the lack of basic services. The health system is at breaking point and power cuts have become a way of life. People blame politicians for the mismanagement of the economy and for allowing the culture of corruption to take root in the country.
Mercifully, violence is not leading to bloodshed. The consolation is that demonstrators in Lebanon are being driven off the streets with water cannons and not shot with real bullets like in Iraq. The same cannot be said of corruption levels which are the same in Beirut and Baghdad.
But Lebanon has a chance at redemption with the appointment of the government head by Hassan Diab. He heads a team of technocrats who, unlike their predecessors, are experts in the ministries they have been appointed to. Most of these ministers are making their debuts in government. They have not been elected to any office before and are untainted by scandals, hence it's important that they be given a chance to prove their mettle.
The government's reform plans presented during a marathon eight-hour session were passed with the support of 63 of the 84 deputies present and voting.
The first task for the government is to stabilise the Lebanese pound as it has fallen to record levels during these months of strife. The liquidity crunch is so dire that banks in the country are imposing capital controls.
Since November, banks have imposed stringent ceilings for withdrawing foreign cash from ATMs. Only $200 can be withdrawn per week and long queues are common in the country.
Public debt stands now at $90 billion, nearly 160% of GDP. In 2020, Lebanon must repay some $4.5 billion of its borrowings.
The Lebanese may have lost their trust in the political class but patienceis needed to stabilise the currency and attract investments and international funds.
Recently, the French ambassador to Lebanon, Bruno Foucher, reassured the Lebanese that France is ready to support Lebanon, but the government must do more on economic reforms.
Last year an international conference in Paris had pledged $11 billion in the form of loans and grants to Lebanon, on the condition that Beirut embarks on an economic revival project.
Other global institutions must also do their bit to put Lebanon back on its feet. The International Monetary Fund could provide assistance to the Diab government to redress the economic situation and restructure public debt.
Finally, with a population of about four million, Lebanon hosts the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world (more than 40 per cent of the demographic mass of Lebanon). Needless to say, this has created overwhelming pressure on the country's resources and finances. The West has done all it can to keep these refugees away and expects Lebanon to bear the burden alone, which is unfair to the country reeling from an economic crisis.
Lebanon is facing a grim battle, and unless aid from the West and other developed countries is forthcoming, the refugee crisis could spiral out of control.
The tragedy would be when desperate Lebanese join the ranks of those refugees trying to make it to Europe just because the world failed in its duty towards Lebanon.
- Christiane Waked is a political analyst based in Beirut.