Why analysts say the Lebanese government's mass resignation may not change much
While the resignation of Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his Cabinet amid protests following a blast in Beirut that killed at least 160 people last week may seem monumental, analysts are skeptical it will have a lasting effect on a country where people have been calling for fundamental change since long before the explosion.
For starters, not everyone considers the resignations as all-encompassing as the appear, since numerous high-ranking authorities including President Michel Auon remain in power.
Now's the bit where they will reshuffle cabinet and try again.
As long as the big names are still in power - currently Aoun as President and Berri as Speaker of Parliament - very little can change. https://t.co/7MjArxt2tb
— #كلن_يعني_كلن (@joeyayoub) August 10, 2020
And just because the politicians who did resign are out of the picture for now, that doesn't mean they will be for long.
This is huge. The entire Lebanese cabinet is set to resign following the #BeirutBlast.
I hope this is a sign of deeper change on the way. However, with the nature of Lebanon's politics being what it is, they could all make a comeback in the near future. https://t.co/yAktZKjv5N
— Khaled Diab (@DiabolicalIdea) August 10, 2020
Ultimately, analysts say, the change desired by protesters is systemic, and not simply tied to the current government. Indeed, three prime ministers and two presidents have been in power since the explosives that caused the blast were stored in a Beirut port warehouse and neglected for seven years.
In Lebanon, people are expecting the resignation of the government today. But if politicians continue to divvy up power by religious sect, it'll be same people, same parties, same system. Those I've been speaking to after the #BeirutExplosion want fundamental change.
— Lindsey Hilsum (@lindseyhilsum) August 10, 2020
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