Lebanon’s business community calls for 100-day truce
Posted by tearsforlebanon on April 21, 2007
BEIRUT: Lebanese business leaders and trade unions called on wrangling politicians to observe a 100-day truce for the sake of the economy and the country. The request is expected to be announced jointly by the Economic Committee, which group the main economic sectors, and the General Trade Federation on Monday at the Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
“This is the first time employers and trade unions take a united stand against the current political situation,” a leading businessman told The Daily Star.
He added that a joint team from both the committee and trade unions will meet all the political factions in the country to urge them to respect a 100-day truce. Bankers, heads of insurance companies, merchant associations and industrialists are expected to attend Monday’s news conference in a show of solidarity.
“I believe that all the politicians want to end the deadlock but no one wants to make the first step,” the business leader said, adding that the committee will highlight the economic cost of the political rift.
Organizers of the campaign stress that both the loyalists and opposition realize that they can’t prolong the crisis any further because the cost of total economic collapse will be too heavy.
But neither the committee nor the trade unions appear willing to take any drastic action to force politicians to abide by the truce.
Last year, the economic committee called for a three-day strike across the country to force the political parties to end their differences through dialogue.
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Apart from banks and some companies, most businesses and establishments did not responded to the strike call at that time.
The deepening political crisis and the four-month sit-in near the government’s Grand Serail have dealt a severe blow the already fragile economy.
Beirut Central District traders claim that more than 100 restaurants, shops and establishments shut down completely and hundreds of staff were laid off due the sit-in.
The tourism sector, which was hoping to recover some of the losses incurred during the war with Israel in 2006, is in total shambles, and many of the five- and four-star hotels were compelled to lay off employees.
Last month, hotel owner and UAE tycoon Khalaf Habtoor warned both the government and the opposition that Gulf and Lebanese investors may take the authorities to international court for failing to protect their investments.
Habtoor, who has been forced to terminate the services of more than 600 employees since the political crisis started, said that if could move his hotels and his properties, he wouldn’t hesitate for a single minute.
Dozens of business owners submitted a petition to the Interior Ministry, urging them to remove the protestors in the BCD.
They warned that if no action is taken soon to end the sit-in then they will file a law suit against the government and demand full compensation.
