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Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil pointed his finger at political interference after the Constitutional Council failed yesterday to reach a decision on the group’s appeal to invalidate amendments to the electoral law. The council’s inaction allowed the contested changes — moving up the date of the elections and the removal of the six-seat specialized electoral district for expatriates — to be considered in force. The council’s move, or lack thereof, means the projected date for the next parliamentary election is now set as March 27, 2022; however, legally President Michael Aoun, the FPM’s founder, must sign a decree activating the electoral college by Dec. 27, i.e. three months ahead of the scheduled date, for them to be held in March. It is almost certain he will not sign this decree. While Judge Tony Mashlab, who presides over the council, described the council’s deliberations as “purely legal,” following yesterday’s council move, Bassil claimed he had received a call from the body proposing to him a deal under which it would approve his appeal in exchange for his agreeing to limit judge Tarek Bitar’s remit in the port blast probe. Bassil also accused “the Shiite duo” — a likely reference to the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, who vocally oppose Bitar’s leadership of the probe — of being behind the council’s decision.

Lebanon’s central bank governor put a number on just how much assistance he believes the country needs to start exiting its present economic crisis. In an interview with AFP, Riad Salameh said $12-$15 billion dollars in international aid funding would help Lebanon begin an economic recovery. The BDL chief also bluntly stated that the Lebanese lira’s peg to the US dollar is “no longer realistic.” Trading at just over LL27,000 yesterday on the parallel market, and with state subsidies on fuel and medications now partially or fully lifted, the lira’s pegged value of LL1,507.5 to the dollar is for many but a distant memory. In its place are a raft of exchange rates and soaring consumer price inflation. Figures released yesterday by the Central Administration of Statistics show the latter to be in triple digits for the 17th consecutive month. Salameh explained, however, that imposing a single exchange rate is impossible in the absence of political stability and agreement on a financial rescue deal with the International Monetary Fund. Salameh also disclosed that BDL’s mandatory foreign currency reserves have plummeted to “around $12.5 billion,” with an additional $1.5 billion in reserves having been freed up for central bank expenditure. The reserves stood at around $32 billion in 2019.

Concluding his visit to Lebanon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the international community is unlikely to show up for the country “if political stalemate continues to stymie the execution of badly needed reforms.” Guterres made clear to journalists during a press conference yesterday evening that while the IMF negotiations are an essential step now to develop a recovery plan and mobilize the international community, “homework needs to be done in Lebanon.” He explained that the international community will not be responsive in the manner it needs to be if “they think the country is paralyzed.” The UN chief’s comments came at the end of a visit in the midst of which rumors briefly surfaced of the imminent resignation of the country’s cabinet, which has not convened for more than two-thirds of its time in office, and amid allegations of political horse-trading involving the terms of next year’s legislative elections and the future of the 2020 Beirut blast probe.

President Michel Aoun is set to chair a meeting of the Higher Defense Council today to discuss the country’s situation amid the increase in the numbers of COVID-19 infections. Yesterday, Lebanon registered 1,806 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths, while 301 coronavirus patients were in intensive care. While case numbers are not dissimilar to this time last year — just weeks ahead of a countrywide lockdown — a number of COVID-19 units have closed during the last 12 months, and health officials have raised the alarm that hospitals may face capacity issues over the coming weeks. The head of the parliamentary health committee warned earlier this week of a potential lockdown as the occupancy rate of COVID-19 beds in hospitals across Lebanon reached 80 percent and rose as high as 90 percent in some areas.