And so, they’re back.
The same incompetent, bloodthirsty warlords that haven’t spared our lives during the Civil War, or our hard-earned savings in recent years. To blindly assume that they will miraculously change their behaviors and habits because the electorate gave them a slap on the wrist by voting in 12 anti-establishment figures is an absolute stupidity, bordering on lunacy.
At this freshly elected Parliament’s inaugural session, we watched on as MP Nabih Berri was reelected as Speaker for the seventh time; a person that represents the sad reality of a nation having been deprived, by six previous assemblies, of change, reforms, and progressive thinking
A Parliament of dynamism, reforms, and will to progress is the desperate hope of Lebanon. A reformist chamber would give us the energy needed to conquer all the chal- lenges and barriers bestowed upon us by those same elected, and now re-elected, rep- resentatives who have mismanaged, wasted, and stolen years and decades of our hard work, dedication, and financial (and emotional) stability.
But let it be clear that the reelection of many of the same old names and most of the same political groups does not give them license to waste and steal. The voters who pro- vided them with renewed legitimacy bear the responsibility to hold them accountable for squandering people’s money. It will be the final ruin of Lebanon if the people and the me- dia will dodge this responsibility, thus allowing politicians to resume their implementation of extractive strategies that will subsequently tax our now meager earnings, and continue to milk and sabotage Lebanon’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Executive Magazine has always advocated for the proper restructuring of our SOEs, and embedding a good govern- ance principle to aid in creating value, growth, and wealth. We carry on with this mission in this issue by examining the potency of the telecommunications sector.
Unfortunately, we have been disappointed time and again in our hopes and chances for well-run institutions that deliver affordable and efficient public services. But we will not give up the fight for a better public economy and for a better state. Meanwhile, the private sector is taking bold measures to break away from its isolation, and building their capacities for investment, efficiency, and growth. The launch of the Lebanese Private Sector Network (LPSN), in which I participated, is a manifestation of the will and readi- ness of the private sector to hunt for long-term earnings and stability, while defending all what remains of good values.
This entrepreneurial spirit will once again break this mold of isolation, and emerge as the driving force towards a striving, and forward-thinking Lebanon.
