The political whisper campaign against Riad Salameh and the gross mishandling of his term renewal by our political class put our monetary and economic stability in jeopardy. Salameh is the last of a post-war cohort that — love them or hate them — were truly faithful to the concept of nation building. Everywhere else, the interest in rebuilding our country seems long dead. In the last 10 years our state institutions have reached an all-time low in managing our future and stability — we are in serious long-term trouble. Riad Salameh, like all humans, is not perfect. Yet, against all odds, he’s served honorably and has a long list of accomplishments behind him. In an ideal world, there should have been a successor — another respectable and qualified candidate to carry the flame after the end of his term in office. Whether it’s at the Banque du Liban or anywhere