Hezbollah Is Exposing Corruption in Lebanon, What Has the Judiciary Done So Far?

By Mohammad Youssef

Fighting corruption in the Lebanese administration was and continues to be one of Hezbollah's top priorities. Many sides in the country have blamed the party for what they assume it is not doing enough in this regard. Are they right?

This is what we will be discussing in this piece of writing.

The black propaganda of Hezbollah adversaries has always spread rumors and fake news about corruption practices enacted by the party. They did everything possible to demonize it and portray it as a militia and an anti-law group.

Those groups who follow the American agenda have been very instrumental in the US campaign that openly admits targeting Hezbollah’s reputation to tarnish its image in the eyes of the Lebanese people.

It is worth mentioning that the party had no role whatsoever in the administration, namely the executive branch before 2005.

Hezbollah dedicated its efforts and made huge sacrifices in its continuous and persistent victorious fight against the 'Israeli' occupation and the terrorist takfiri groups.

The military activity of the party surpassed all expectations when it did not only defeat the enemies, but was rather able to build an equation of strength, a formula of protection the has always proved its efficiency.

When Hezbollah joined the government, the Lebanese people experienced a very straightforward, honest, and positive role for all the ministers that were chosen by the party's leadership.

Hezbollah did not accept the corrupt performance and rather fought it.

To this end, it has established a group dedicated to fight corruption and brought into light a lot of corrupt malpractices and sent them to the judicial authorities.

Numerous issues that haven't been known by the public surfaced, have been properly documented, and later handed to the judiciary. Scandals of high caliber about illegal deals, spendthrift practices, robberies, and stealing public money in unreal projects and enterprisers have been revealed due to Hezbollah's efforts.

Successive press conferences that explain the corrupt conduct of the different Lebanese administrations were also organized and directly broadcasted to the public to raise their awareness about causes and results of the major corruption practices. However, unfortunately, the judiciary did not assume its role properly and many of the files were left in drawers without taking or doing any legal step.

Many Lebanese who pinned hopes on Hezbollah because of its credibility and ability to deliver, have expected the party to take action directly and assume tangible measures in fighting the corruption. This would mean that Hezbollah takes the role of the judiciary and replaces the state departments which was, and continues to be, out of question and consideration.

It has never been Hezbollah's intention in the past and will not be in its consideration to weaken, take the role, or replace any of the state powers. On the contrary, Hezbollah expressed full readiness to aid the state in many ways to empower its many departments on many levels.

Both decay and erosion of Lebanon's state departments, which resulted from the chronic corrupt practices, have impacted the life of every Lebanese individual. The confessional system has been and continues to be the number one enemy of the state. Unless we the Lebanese gain enough awareness about the heavy price we are paying and will continue to pay as long as we do not make a revolutionary leap to eradicate corruption, we will definitely continue in the same vicious cycle that will end up in the demise of the state and may be far worse.