Economic Committees Raise a Voice against 'National Suicide'

Economic Committees gathered Thursday and gave a shout-out against the deteriorating economic conditions in Lebanon urging for a quick resumption of the state institutions' activity mainly the presidency.

The gathering, which was held in BIEL and named June 25 Call, meant to urge all politicians to shoulder their responsibility and avoid what the head of the Beirut Merchants Association Nicolas Shammas called as “national suicide.”

Shammas had emphasized to As Safir daily on Thursday that “the politicians should bear the responsibility and help Lebanon before it collapses.”

The gathering included the country’s most prominent bankers and businessmen and aimed to sound alarm on the economic situation the country is passing through.

The head of the Economic Committees Adnan Kassar said:“We still have a historic chance to salvage Lebanon,” urging all politicians to put their differences aside.

For his part, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Mohammed Choucair warned against schemes to annul the presidency, the vacuum in the security positions and the paralysis of the parliament.

Ghassan Ghosn, the head of the GLC, stressed that “there should be a popular demand to regain Lebanon's political life, including the election of a president and restoring the executive and legislative activities.”

Shammas, in an interview to the daily stressed that: “The call of economic bodies reflects the current economic situation and is not an exaggeration,” as he was referring to reports criticizing the move dubbing it as politically mobilized.

He pointed to the significant “decline in sales and profits of traders who can no longer endure the situation. Also, 82 institutions in Downtown Beirut have closed their doors between March 2014-March 2015 and the owners have therefore decided to raise voices.”

Shammas also pointed that “some economic and financial sectors mainly the banking sector might be subject to sanctions of the international community if the parliament did not approve the fight against tax evasion laws, money laundering and the transfer of money across borders.”

Lebanon has been living in a state of governmental and parliamentary paralysis since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 amid the failure of lawmakers to convene and elect a successor.

The government has also been in limbo since PM Tammam Salam halted cabinet sessions early in June against the backdrop of the Free Patriotic Movement's threats to boycott the sessions if the appointment of high-ranking officials did not top the agenda.

On the FPM's criticism that the move of Economic Committees has a political background, Shammas reiterated that it was not initiated by political pressure saying: “We were not subject to pressure by any political side, the pressure emanated from our bases in the markets.”

Hailing the move, head of al-Mustaqbal movement Saad Hariri said via twitter on Wednesday: “I join my voice to those meeting in BIEL tomorrow to rightfully decry "national suicide" in light of our deteriorating economy.

“We are fully aware of problems and challenges facing the Lebanese due to the deteriorating economic and social situation. Such challenges and difficulties are compounded by vacuum in the Presidency and paralysis of the Legislative and Executive branches .Our Future movement MPs and Cabinet members will have an open door to study the recommendations made at tomorrow's meeting.”

D.A.

G.K.