Aoun Criticises Allies For Delay In New Government Formation

Asked by a reporter where Lebanon is headed if no government is formed soon, the president replied: ‘To hell, of course. Why else would I be standing here speaking if this wasn’t the case?’

Lebanon’s president warned on Monday that the crisis-hit country could be going to “hell” if a new government was not formed soon.

In a televised address, President Michel Aoun criticised his political allies, the Shiite groups Hizbollah and Amal, for insisting on holding on to the finance ministry portfolio in any new government and on naming the Shiite ministers in the cabinet.

Their insistence has undermined a French initiative led by President Emmanuel Macron for a Lebanese government of independent specialists that was to be formed by Sept.15 to enact desperately needed reforms meant to extract the country from a devastating economic and financial crisis.

The crisis, which has led to the collapse of the Lebanese currency, has been worsened by the Aug.4 explosion at Beirut’s port caused by the detonation of thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands and caused losses worth billions of dollars.