Comment: Lebanon’s last chance? – Gulf Digital News

Comment: Lebanon’s last chance? – Gulf Digital News

Lebanon has been in an economic tailspin and unless drastic reforms are implemented, it will be bankrupt by the end of the year. The country is also in a state of political collapse, with the vast majority of Lebanese no longer having confidence in the traditional sectarian parties or the political system that has been in place for three generations.

The Lebanese people are also both frustrated and exhausted. Record numbers are struggling simply to make ends meet. It’s deeply disturbing that in the country that elevated the preparation of food to a high art, food insecurity and even outright hunger are widespread.

The nation that has boasted some of the region’s finest centres of learning is now witnessing a haemorrhaging of its educated youth. Significant numbers of young people, having lost hope in their future in Lebanon, are expressing the desire to emigrate.

The Lebanese people want a government that’s responsive to their needs: the creation of jobs, social services, national unity, and security. They also want an end to corruption and nepotism and the sectarian system of patronage that has drained the country’s wealth and resources to serve the interests of a handful of feudal lords.

When more than a million Lebanese