Lebanon crisis deepens, Prime Minister threatens to stop running government

Agencies | Beirut

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbhahrain.com

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab threatened yesterday to stop performing his duties to pressure politicians to form a new government. “If seclusion helps with cabinet formation then I am ready to resort to it, although it goes against my convictions for it disrupts the entire state and is detrimental to the Lebanese,” Diab said in a speech.

“The equation is clear: there is no solution to the social crisis without solving the financial crisis, no solution to the financial crisis without the resumption of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), no negotiations with the IMF without reforms, no reforms without a new government,” Diab added.

Diab’s cabinet resigned on the back of the August 4 Beirut port explosion that devastated swathes of the capital.

Prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri was nominated in October but has failed to form a new cabinet so far due to a political deadlock between him and President Michel Aoun.

Lebanon has been witnessing a devastating political and socio-economic crisis since October 2019 when nationwide protests demanding political and economic reforms pressured for the resignation of al-Hariri’s government.

Diab added that Lebanon has reached the brink and that there is fear that “the dangers will no longer be contained”. “It is likely to worsen if a new government with powers is not formed,” said Hassan Diab.