'Cocktail Mix With Extra Corruption for Taste:' Lebanese PM Nominee Rejected Before He's Officially Named

Only hours before the French president's second visit to Lebanon in less than a month, Lebanese politicians have rushed to announce their support for designating the country's ambassador to Germany as the new Prime Minister, but many Lebanese commentators quickly rejected the man, and they have their reasons.

In the country; still recovering after a near-apocalyptic explosion on the 4th of August and after several promises made by the French president, who was the first international leader to fly to Beirut to announce support for the people and promise the former French colony a "better future," political parties have agreed to name Mustafa Adib as the new head of government.

While Adib's nomination has not yet been made official, prominent leaders of political parties who often have to agree before a government is formed in Lebanon have all announced their support for him, making him the only candidate for the position.

However, many social media users referred to Adib as "a member of the corrupt group of politicians," saying that he is no different from the corrupt known names often blamed for deteriorating economic and social crises in the struggling country. Some also expressed their fear that Adib's close ties to Hezbollah and Amal movement mean that he will be no different from past PMs. 

Translation: "For the very first time in Lebanon's history, all parties agree on one nominee in less than 24 hours. That's an order no one can say no to, as they received it from Macron."

Some commentators also suggested that Adib's news coming out hours before Macron's long-awaited visit could mean that he was nominated by the French. Others highlighted the irony in the similarities between the last names of the resigning prime minister Hassan Diab and that of the new candidate; Mustafa Adib, saying that it could the only difference between the two men.

On Twitter, many users shared photos of Adib on his way back to Lebanon from Berlin where he served as an ambassador, saying that he had refused to undergo a PCR test before getting into the plane as per COVID-19 rules and that he had used his connections to receive special treatment, unlike other citizens, suggesting that "he's already a corrupt politician."

Translation: "Government nominee Mustafa Adib as an ambassador in Berlin: Yesterday he refused to undergo a PCR test and made a phone call that allowed him on the plane without the test. What are people expecting from Mustafa Adib?"

In the wake of the Beirut port explosion last month, which left more than 180 people dead, 52 missing individuals, in addition to thousands of injured and displaced people as it rocked the entire city, the Lebanese public called on the government to resign as they blamed corruption resulting in the explosion on politicians.

The French President is expected to arrive to Lebanon today, where he is scheduled to meet the Lebanese icon; Fairouz, in a symbolic tribute to the country ailing after the Hiroshima-like blast of the 4th of August, before he meets other politicians as efforts intensify in an attempt to rescue the country from its struggles.