BEIRUT: The recent Cabinet formation in Lebanon has brought new hopes of stability to many people. In a country that has been marred by civil conflict for decades many people saw the five-month delay in forming the unity government as a bad omen for further internal conflicts However, the recent breakthrough has seemingly brought confidence in progression and high hopes for change for a lot of people.
Ahmad, a 54-year-old Future Movement supporter said: “I hope for prosperity soon.” Ahmad added that he also hoped the new government would be able to act on UN Resolution 1701 and disarm Hizbullah.
“The weapons won’t reach a military objective, not with the UN in the buffer zone south of the Litani [river], it makes a conflict between Israel and Lebanon very difficult.”
Ahmad also hoped that the new unity government would put an end to all militia activity in Lebanon, saying: “The only weapons should belong to the military.” He also commented that he hoped Lebanon could have electricity 24 hours a day.
Ali, a 29-year-old Amal Movement supporter said that he hoped the new unity government would work together to fight corruption and improve the tax system. “We pay a lot of money, we deserve better water and electricity facilities,” he said “I hope they find a solution so that the government can work with private companies to benefit the people better.”
Ali also hoped that the government would be able to clamp down on illegal electricity consumption to benefit the system as a whole.
Ali added that he hoped the government would be able to provide more employment opportunities for people, and that politicians would work as a united front and not exclusively care about the needs of their individual sects.
Forty-five-year-old Michel, a Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) supporter, said that he was pleased with the Cabinet formation and that he hoped that MP Jebran Bassil would work hard as the energy and water resources minister to improve the state of electricity within the country.
Michel also expressed his wish that new job opportunities would be created through the political stability.
“I think Prime Minister [Saad] Hariri and [FPM leader Michel] Aoun have started to reach an understanding between them and I think this is a good thing for Lebanon and the Lebanese people.”
Although there appears to be a sense of agreement in many that the new unity government will face challenges, the difference between their hopes and expectations are still quite stark.
“I think there will be a lot of talk in the presidential palace, which is not going to achieve anything, Hizbullah and the other militias will keep their weapons,” said Ahmad. “By keeping talks open indefinitely they are able to keep their weapons indefinitely.
“Some ministers are going to work hard and others are just there to hold positions of authority and many don’t have the experience to give us something new,” said Ali, “But [Interior Minister] Ziyad Baroud is a brave man and one of the best ministers we have in the country, we feel he will give us something new.”
Michel said: “You can’t expect anything in this country,” referring to the constantly shifting alliances and instability within the region.
“We have less danger now that we have a government, I think without this final agreement we would have been facing big problems.”
“With regards to a civil war, I think this won’t happen because we have started to reach understandings together as a people, however, when it comes to external threats from Israel, we could be facing war at any time,” Michel added.
Other people on the streets of Beirut were also cynical about progression. “Nothing will change for us, just more empty talk,” said Mohammad, a fruit and vegetable vendor from Ras al-Nabeh.
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