Lebanon Protest: Shia-majority areas criticize Hezbollah for not doing enough
Mon 28 October 2019:
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is in a “difficult and delicate” situation as protests continue to paralyse Lebanon for the second week, analysts say.
The rising cost of living, alleged corruption by officials and high unemployment have reached a peak, Lebanese protesters say, demanding the resignation of all political leaders and an end to the sectarian system of governance.
Protests began on October 17, following the government’s plans to impose new taxes on tobacco, petrol and WhatsApp calls, as public anger spilled on to the streets.
Chants of “all of them means all” and “the people demand the fall of the regime,” were heard on the streets.
Analysts remarked on the fact that these protests were seen across the country for the first time – spreading to the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Lebanon, seen as the most powerful force in the country.
While protesters voiced their anger against the government, Amal Saad, political science professor at the Lebanese University, told Al Jazeera the Lebanese in Shia-majority areas have also been criticising Hezbollah for not doing enough to confront the government.
“The overwhelming majority of Shia have been accusing [Speaker of Parliament Nabih] Berri, Amal [Movement] leader, of a lot of corruption of stealing public funds. His wife is extremely wealthy, as wealthy as Hariri,” Saad said.
“They criticise Hezbollah for not stopping corruption, because Berri is a main Hezbollah ally and Hezbollah has done nothing to hold him to account or to hold other partners in government to account.”
The Shia duo Hezbollah and Amal, and its allies, were the biggest winners in the May 2018 parliamentary elections.
Hezbollah emerged as a major political force, winning 13 seats and securing three cabinet posts.
It has been in an alliance with Maronite Christian President Michel Aoun, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, for over a decade, helping him to win the presidency in 2016.
Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, views Nasrallah’s speeches as an attempt at discrediting the protest movement.
“When statements like this are made, warning of political vacuum and chaos and civil war, they point out not at real expectations but more a discomfort on Hezbollah’s part,” Khatib said.
“It’s beginning to feel threatened by protests on the streets because Hezbollah is part of the ruling elite in Lebanon and the protesters are not budging in terms of saying they are against everything in the political class in the country, including Hezbollah.”
Khatib believes Hezbollah has a lot to lose from the protests as it is Lebanon’s most influential political party and [Nasrallah is] de facto ruler of the country.
“Hezbollah has the most to lose from the kind of political change demanded by the protesters which is calling for a civil state that is accountable and transparent,” Khatib said, adding that the only way the political system can be “shaken” is if disagreements start to occur between different political parties in the ruling class about what to do next.
“For now, it is clear that the political elites are trying to get together on one side against the Lebanese protesters but it’s not clear as to how long the show of unity will last,” Khatib said.
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