Thread by @jjz1600

.@zogby_research conducted a nationwide poll of Lebanese. Results revealed the extent of their hardships, their attitudes toward their institutions, & what they want.

1. Almost all Lebanese have been impacted by the economic collapse. They say they’re are worse off & hurting…

2. More than 1/3 go w/out food sometimes & 1 in 5 of the poorest Lebanese “very often go w/out meals.”

3. Two-thirds of all Lebanese say they don’t have enough income to make ends meet. All these hardships combined have led 2/3’s of Lebanese to say that they’d emigrate if they had the chance.

4. Lebanese retain confidence in some of their institutions, esp the LAF, the religious leadership, & judiciary. They also give high marks to their civil society & the 10/17th street revolts. Lower grades for Hizbollah & little confidence in parliament & traditional parties

5. On the matter of Hizbollah: majorities in every religious community group want that group’s “weapons & forces” placed under the control of the state. They appear to be tired of Hizbollah acting as a “state w/in the state” & using threats to maintain the “old regime”

6. But here’s the promising news: 3 in 5 have confidence that the upcoming elections will bring change & more than two-thirds will support the new alternative reform parties while only 1 in 5 will vote for the sectarian elites in the traditional parties.

7. What do the Lebanese people want? They want an end to the sectarian system of governance that breeds the corruption that is killing the country. And their number one priority concern is, of course, far & away, ending corruption.

8. And this is important: there is almost total agreement on the importance of a “full investigation of & accountability for the explosion in the Port of Beirut” that killed hundreds & left 300,000 homeless.” Hizbollah is blocking the investigation & the people aren’t buying it.

9. For years we’ve saying that “Lebanon at the breaking point.” Given the hope that many Lebanese have that 2022 elections can bring desperately need change, if the elections are cancelled, aren’t free & fair, or are fixed bringing back the old guard, Lebanon will be broken.