‘The country is in a state of almost total disintegration. We are seeing the collapse of all state institutions that were still holding up’
The leader of one of Lebanon’s leading security agencies retired on Friday without a successor, a casualty of the political and institutional inertia fueling concerns about a more exhaustive breakdown.
“The country is in a state of almost total disintegration,” said analyst Karim Bitar, according to AFP. “We are seeing the collapse of all state institutions that were still holding up.”
According to the United Nations, Lebanon is dealing with a severe economic crisis that has forced more than 80 percent of the country’s citizens into poverty. Strikes and absenteeism have paralyzed public services; the government can only guarantee a few hours of daily access to mains electricity.
Since 2019, the local currency has lost most of its purchasing power relative to the U.S. dollar.
Since the legislative elections in May of last year, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker administration with little power and a mostly rudderless political system. Since Michel Aoun’s resignation at the end of October, sectarian leaders have been arguing about who should take his place.
Lawmakers have failed to appoint a successor or prolong the contract of General Security agency chief and retiring spymaster Abbas Ibrahim. Ibrahim was viewed by many as a political broker between the country’s split political barons during his more than ten years in the position. He faced many complicated issues, such as the Syrian war’s spillover into Lebanon.
