by Dhruv Nair
On the 4th of August 2020, a massive explosion shook Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. The shockwave from the blast tore through the city, leaving over 200 dead and 6000 injured, and causing severe damage to buildings, property and infrastructure as far as 12 kilometres from the blast site.
The cause was determined to be from a cache of 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a potentially dangerous substance if kept in certain conditions, that had been stored unsafely at the port for years with the knowledge of public officials. Widespread protests and demonstrations followed,
with protestors alleging that it was negligence and corruption on part of the government that led to the situation. On Monday night, the ruling government, convened on _ and headed by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, submitted their resignations, declaring that by doing so, they were “stand[ing] with the people.”
These events come in the midst of a severe economic and political crisis in Lebanon, declared by some to be the worst economic crisis the county has faced since a 15-year civil war that concluded in 1990. Protests have been ongoing in the country since October 2019. Initially triggered by proposed taxes on internet calling applications, gasoline, tobacco and an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT), they quickly began to demand a concrete response to endemic corruption, economic mismanagement, sectarian politics and growing unemployment. A hundred days from the start of these protests, a new government was formed under the leadership of ex-University Professor Hassan Diab. Diab claimed his Cabinet was composed of independent ‘technocrats’ who would focus on the country’s financial crisis. However, many protests still continued, driven by the fact that this new government was still backed by a coalition of sectarian political parties, including Hezbollah, an Iran-backed political and militant group. As recently as 4th August, dozens of protestors attempted to force their way into the headquarters of the Energy Ministry following large scale power outages.
With the resignation of Diab’s government, Lebanon will be tasked with finding its third Prime Minister in less than a year. In appointing a new government, the Parliament must go through processes involving the same sectarian politics that are the cause of public anger. This
government will also be tasked with finding solutions to the spiralling crisis the country faces on a number of fronts. In a speech following his announcement, Mr Diab implied that the political elite prevented his government from being able to undertake adequate reform. It remains to be seen how effectively the new government will be able to navigate these challenges.