Asharq Al-Awsat -- Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said on Sunday it is "shameful" that Lebanese politicians have yet to form a new cabinet nearly three months after elections, blaming their chronic feuding for the country's "decay". In his weekly sermon, Rahi drew an unfavorable comparison between Lebanon's progress in securing a maritime boundary deal with Israel and the paralysis in domestic politics. "Isn't it shameful that authorities make efforts to reach an agreement with Israel on maritime borders but refrain from forming a government? Has it become easier for them to agree with Israel than to agree on a government among the Lebanese?" he said. "Isn't the split in political power in Lebanon, and of the parties... the basis of the (country's) political, economic, financial and social decay?" he added.

The Maronite Patriarch said "ugly campaigns in the media" appeared aimed at delaying government formation and the election of a new president later on this year. Rahi was alluding to an escalating dispute between President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who was re-nominated as premier after parliamentary elections in May and has been struggling to form a new cabinet.

Beirut - Paula Astih  -- As thousands of public sector workers continue their strike in Lebanon, hundreds of the country’s newborns are being left undocumented. In Lebanon, civil workers have been on strike for more than a month and a half, exacerbating the crises experienced by the Lebanese on different levels. Because of the walkout, the Lebanese can’t obtain their documents to apply for travel visas and they are also unable to complete the process of buying and selling a car. Moreover, the work stoppage obstructs the entry of goods into Lebanon through the Beirut port, which threatens food security.

Since June 13, about 30,000 public workers have been carrying out an open strike to demand a correction of public sector salaries and an increase in the value of social benefits. The direct daily losses caused by the strike amount to about 12 billion Lebanese pounds, or about $400,000, according to the Minister of Labor in the caretaker government, Mustafa Bayram. Despite attempts to reach a settlement with the employees, many of them refuse returning to their duty stations. This reflected badly on families trying to register their newborns. Not only are newborns going unregistered, but also most, if not all, transactions of the civil services departments and others have come to a screeching halt.

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanon has strongly condemned Friday’s attack on Gaza by Israel. In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community “to rapidly intervene to promptly stop these attacks, and call on Israel to abide by UN resolutions in order to preserve the safety of the Palestinian civilians who are badly suffering under Israel’s unjust blockade.” The developments in Gaza were being closely followed by Palestinian refugees in Lebanese camps. People in Lebanon are anxiously waiting to see what direction Israel’s military actions will take and whether they will be affected.

Reacting to the attacks on Gaza, Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force, said: “Hezbollah plans to deal Israel a fatal blow and eradicate it completely at the appropriate time. “Israel’s security is decreasing,” he continued. “We will not stop fighting … and we will continue to stand firm.” Hesham Debsi, director of the Tatwir Center for Studies in Lebanon, told Arab News that Qaani’s statement “falls under the category of reaction rather than action.” “Every time Gaza is under attack from Israel, the Revolutionary Guards Corps launches its favorite slogan, stating that it will deal Israel a fatal blow at the appropriate time. We are still waiting for that moment. It is lame rhetoric made at the expense of Palestinian blood. No one believes it anymore. In fact, it serves the Israeli enemy.” Hezbollah praised “the solidarity of the Palestinian resistance factions” and emphasized the need to maintain a unified stance, which constitutes the main factor in triumphing over the enemy.”

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

هل كان يجوز أن تُعقدَ قِمّةٌ لبنانيّةٌ تَضمُّ، بعدَ طولِ فِراق، رئيسَ الجُمهوريّةِ ورئيسَ مجلسِ النوّاب ورئيسَ حكومةِ تصريفِ الأعمال لاستقبالِ موفَدٍ أميركيٍّ والتفاوضِ معه حولَ تفاصيلِ ترسيمِ الحدودِ البحريّةِ بين لبنان وإسرائيل؟ ماذا تَركتم أيّها الرؤساءُ "المِضْيافون" لاستقبالِ الملوكِ والرؤساء؟!

لكنَّ قِمّةَ الرؤساءِ الثلاثيّةَ كَشَفت أنَّ النظامَ اللبنانيَّ، منذ دستورِ الطائف، حوّلته الطبقةُ السياسيّةُ، بإشرافٍ سوريٍّ بدايةً، نِظامًا فدراليًّا هجينًا لا على أساسٍ طائفيٍّ فحَسب، بل على أساسٍ مَذهبيّ. ورغم ذلك، ينتقدُ فِدراليّو الطائف الفدراليّةَ ويَعتبرونها تقسيمًا. أجل، إنَّ الفدراليّةَ بالشكلِ الـمـُطبَّقةِ فيه منذ مطلَعِ التسعيناتِ هي تقسيمٌ دستوريٌّ من فوق وواقعيٌّ من تحت، بينما الفدراليّةُ النظاميّةُ الحضاريّةُ هي اتّحاد. وكلّما التقينا كبارَ الديبلوماسيّين المعتمَدين في لبنان يَعترفون بالواقعِ الفدراليِّ الغريب، ويَدعونَنا إمّا إلى الخروجِ منه أو إلى تطبيقهِ حسَبَ الأصولِ الدستوريّة. وما كان الموفدُ الأميركيُّ هوكشتاين "فَرضَ" لقاءَ الرؤساءِ الثلاثةِ معًا، إلا لأنّه تيقّنَ من وجودِ ثلاثِ سلطاتٍ على الأقلّ في لبنان، وكلُّ واحدةٍ تَملِك حقَّ الفيتو كأمرٍ واقعٍ فِدراليّ.

مهما يكن، يبقى أنَّ التقدّمَ الحاصلَ في مفاوضاتِ الحدودِ البحريّةِ بين الجانبين اللبنانيِّ والإسرائيليِّ بوِساطةٍ أميركيّةٍ كافٍ لاستئنافِ اجتماعاتِ الناقورة، لكنّه غيرُ كافٍ بعدُ لتوقيعِ الاتّفاقِ مع ملحقاتِه. وإذا كان لبنانُ وإسرائيل يُعطيان الأولويّةَ لاستخراجِ الغازِ على السجالِ الحادِّ حولَ الحدود، خصوصًا بعد تراجعِ لبنان إلى الخطّ 23، تَظلُّ الخَشيةُ أن تُخفيَ إسرائيلُ، كعادتِها، عُقدةَ رُبعِ الساعةِ الأخير.