Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday that since Lebanon is in dire need of loans but the conditions to unlock funds by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are very complicated, the country needs to reform its political system.
President Aoun attributed the delay in implementing reforms proposed by the IMF to the institutional paralysis in Lebanon, which hinders decision-making in the country.
“The Lebanese system is paralyzed and needs to be changed by adopting decentralization to facilitate the decision-making process … Reform of the ruling system is very essential,” he said.
Aoun’s remarks came during his meeting at Baabda Palace with a delegation from the European People’s Party (EPP) headed by French politician Franck Proust.
Proust said his visit aims to follow up on Lebanon’s negotiations with the IMF and the reforms made by the country for the speedy implementation of the recovery plan.
On Jan. 24, Lebanon kicked off the first round of official talks with the IMF, seeking to unlock aid for the crisis-hit country. ■
