“Once again, the Lebanese political class has shown the people that it is completely incapable of resolving thorny problems. Thus, yet again it lost credit in the eyes of the public,” said one prominent Lebanese politician, summing up recent developments in an interview with Al-Monitor. He said the Lebanese people are perplexed, and feel increasingly unsettled and insecure. This politician, who holds a position in the March 14 Coalition, spoke on condition of anonymity because he said he was partially criticizing his own party. 

He said that the political class has failed to meet citizens’ vital, daily needs. For instance, a few days ago hospitals stopped accepting patients who were uninsured or who are insured by the national social security fund. The education sector faces similar hardships. Private schools empty parents’ pockets through their exorbitant tuition fees, and the authorities have proven themselves helpless to defend citizens from this extreme greed. Official departments haven't been able to carry out the simplest tasks. Meanwhile, the government has distanced itself from all matters, including its own citizens. It watches in silence as the state’s sovereignty is violated from across the Syrian border, and it doesn’t object when Hezbollah flies a drone over Israel.

The politician noted that the political class has failed to carry out the national dialogue called for by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman. He reiterated that while Hezbollah had agreed to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, it has maintained armed forces in the region south of the Litani river, in clear violation of the resolution. The presence of such forces poses a threat to Lebanon.

Additionally, although Hezbollah agreed to the self-distancing policy adopted during the first national dialogue session in Baabda in regards to the crisis in Syria, the group ended up sending fighters to the neighboring country. The party justified this step under the pretext that they were protecting Lebanese Shiites living in Syria. While other parties have also participated in the Syrian crisis, they are not as influential and prominent as Hezbollah, nor had they participated in the national dialogue and ratified its decisions.