WASHINGTON/BEIRUT: The International Monetary Fund acknowledged yesterday its mission in Lebanon had spoken with Hezbollah, among other political parties, about the need for economic reforms in the country.
An IMF spokesperson downplayed reports in The New York Times and the Financial Times saying that the IMF had discussed a possible loan for Lebanon with Hezbollah, which is vying to oust a pro-Western faction dominating the Parliament in June legislative elections.
On the latest IMF mission in Lebanon, in February and March, staff “met with the main political parties as part of their outreach activities,” the spokesperson said in an e-mail to AFP, on condition of anonymity.
“The objective of these meetings was to explain the role of Fund surveillance and to gather support toward economic reforms,” the official said.
In response to a question about the reported loan talks, the spokesperson said: “The IMF has not negotiated with Hezbollah members or sympathizers in Lebanon over a possible loan. By no means were future fund arrangements discussed.”
Meanwhile, the memory of assassinated Lebanese leaders lives on in the symbols and slogans of their heirs who are battling for Christian votes crucial to deciding the outcome of a parliamentary election.
At 26 and 27, Nayla Tueni and Nadim Gemayel are young, even by the standards of Lebanon’s dynastic politics. Running as allies in the election, both evoke the memories of fathers killed for their views.
Gemayel manages his campaign from offices decorated with images of his father, President-elect Bashir Gemayel, who was blown up in 1982. Tueni’s manifesto has 48 articles, intended to reflect the age of her father Gebran when he was assassinated in 2005. Both died opponents of Syria’s influence in Lebanon. Now, their offspring aim to galvanize Christian support for a Western-backed coalition of factions which still see the neighboring state and its Lebanese allies as a threat.
