Hariri ready to form new-look govt in Lebanon
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LEBANON鈥橲 Saad al-Hariri is ready to return as prime minister of a new government, a senior official familiar with his thinking said, on condition it includes technocrats and be capable of quickly implementing reforms needed to stave off economic collapse.
Hariri鈥檚 resignation on Tuesday has left Lebanon with a political vacuum at a moment of acute crisis with reforms urgently needed to ward off even deeper financial problems in one of the world鈥檚 most heavily indebted states.
After two weeks of anti-government protests largely subsided following Hariri鈥檚 announcement, main roads in Lebanon reopened yesterday as security forces sought to restore a semblance of normality.
Hariri resigned after nearly two weeks of massive protests against the political elite, accused by demonstrators of overseeing rampant state corruption, saying he had hit a 鈥渄ead end鈥 in trying to resolve the crisis.
The senior official, who declined to be identified, said any new Cabinet led by Hariri should be devoid of a group of top-tier politicians who were in the outgoing coalition government, without naming them.
The outgoing Cabinet comprised top representatives of most of Lebanon鈥檚 sectarian parties, among them Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil of the Christian Free Patriotic Movement who has been a prominent target of protesters.
Bassil is a political ally of the powerful Shi鈥檌te group Hezbollah, which had opposed the government鈥檚 resignation and has yet to comment on the resignation of Hariri, a long-time opponent of the group.
The crisis has weighed on the country鈥檚 sovereign debt and increased pressure on the Lebanese pound, which has been weakening on the parallel market below the official rate of 1,507.5 to the US dollar.
The banks have publicly cited security concerns as the reason for the closure. Bankers and analysts have also cited concern about a rush by savers to withdraw their savings or transfer them abroad once the banks reopen.
President Michel Aoun formally asked Hariri yesterday to continue in a caretaker role until a new cabinet is formed.
There is no obvious alternative to Hariri to fill the post of prime minister, which is reserved for a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon鈥檚 sectarian power-sharing system.
Hariri, Lebanon鈥檚 leading Sunni politician, is seen as the focal point for Western and Gulf Arab support of Lebanon, which is in dire need of external financial support to revive its economy and boost its foreign exchange reserves.
Serious strife
Early yesterday, troops cleared one major route north of Beirut.
Hariri made his resignation speech on Tuesday after a crowd loyal to Hezbollah and Amal movements attacked and destroyed a camp in central Beirut.
The strife is the most serious on the streets of Beirut since 2008, when Hezbollah fighters seized control of the capital in a brief eruption of armed conflict with Lebanese adversaries loyal to Hariri and his allies at the time.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the formation of a new government responsive to the needs of the people.
Iran鈥檚 supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the US and Saudi Arabia of stoking unrest in Lebanon and urged protesters to seek changes in a lawful way.
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