Lebanon’s outgoing PM backs businessman to replace him

Lebanon’s outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he supports the nomination of a prominent contractor to become the next premier, a move that will likely pave the way for the formation of a new Cabinet amid a severe economic and financial crisis.

The news of the possible nomination of Samir Khatib, the head of a major contracting and construction company, sparked spontaneous late-night protests. Hundreds gathered at a strategic intersection in Beirut, known as the Ring Road, blocking the road and chanting against Khatib. Security forces tried to prevent the protesters from blocking the road that links east to west Beirut, and after a warning, used tear gas to disperse them, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

"We will not accept this as people, and we will not accept this as revolutionaries, because we know that we are heading toward the abyss with this government," Elie Kayrouz, an anti-government protester at the Ring Road, said, describing Khatib and other names leaked to the media who may form the new Cabinet as connected to the outgoing one.

After briefly dispersing, protesters attempted to gather again to block the road.

Hariri resigned on Oct. 29 amid nationwide protests and a stalemate with political rivals over forming a new government. Meanwhile, Lebanon, one of the world's most indebted countries in terms of debt-to GDP ratio, is reeling under the pressure of an unprecedented economic crunch that has only worsened amid the political crisis.

President Michel Aoun now is expected to call for binding consultations with heads of parliamentary blocs to name the new prime minister. But since Hariri, the most powerful Sunni leader in the country, said he will back Khatib, the contractor is widely expected to get the post.