Lebanon has squandered two full years in its search for the President of the Republic. Although parliamentary elections were held last May under a flawed electoral law, the political class is still unable to create a government. And even when a cabinet does see the light of day, its very structure, which is based on permanent consensus, would make it a paralyzed institution, incapable of making any decision.
The country has also missed the boat of effective municipal waste management. Since the outbreak of the crisis two years ago, no viable decision has been made due to conflicts of interest. The only easy-way-out solution proposed relies on landfills whose location is being fiercely negotiated with different community leaders.
There has also been corner-cutting when it comes to power shortages. Nearly 30 years after the end of the war, power rationing is still in place on a large scale and no decision has been made regarding the installation of new plants or, what would be an even better solution, exploring renewable energy options (hydraulic, solar, wind). Finally, a partial and shaky resolution was imposed by renting highly polluting powerships, without even tackling the main issue.
The public authorities’ display of apathy has even extended to the issue of Syrian refugees. Instead of ensuring that they are registered and properly settled in geographically defined camps, the State has subcontracted the problem to NGOs and the UN relief agency. At the same time, red tape has been worse for investors and other wealthy Syrians, who have opted to put their money elsewhere.
In short, there have been missed opportunities in cutting corners and generalized inaction, with the Lebanese political class putting on show such a measure of immaturity that the Lebanese are wondering today whether mechanically celebrating the independence of their country year in year out might be somewhat improper.