Hassan Diab, the head of the government for nearly seven months, announced Monday night his resignation to the Lebanese in a speech.
lebanese Prime minister Hassan Diab announced Monday evening the resignation of his government, after the departure of several members of his team under the pressure of the street, which accuses the political class of being responsible for the explosion and devastation at the port of Beirut. The head of government for almost seven months ago, Hassan Diab has made the announcement in a speech to the nation six days after the explosion that devastated the harbour of the lebanese capital and a part of the city.
“today I am announcing the resignation of this government,” he said, accusing the political class of being the cause of his failures and denouncing the “corruption” that led to “the earthquake that struck the country”.
IMAGES >> IN Beirut, the explosion has also ravaged architectural gems
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presenting Himself as an independent, Diab was appointed Prime minister in response to a popular uprising drove his predecessor Saad Hariri to resign. As he began his speech, clashes took place in the city centre near the Parliament, for the third night in a row.
protesters threw stones and firecrackers at security forces who répliquaient with shots of tear gas, according to a photographer from AFP.
Renew the political class
The protesters have been demanding the renewal of the political class as a whole, which has been accused for months of corruption and incompetence. “Even with the resignation of Hassan Diab, there are still 128 thieves sitting in the Parliament”, has blasted Layal, a protester. “They too need to resign, otherwise we are stuck in the same cycle”.
The blast gigantic of 4 August, which has killed at least 160 people dead and over 6000 injured – has added to the sufferings of a population already exasperated by an economic crisis unprecedented, compounded by the epidemic of Covid-19.
Six days after the tragedy, the authorities still have not explained why a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate was stored at the port, in the middle of the city. It is a fire in the warehouse where were stored 2750 tons of nitrate for six years, without the “precautionary measures” of the confession even of Diab, who caused the explosion.
The president Michel Aoun, himself, disputed, rejected the possibility of an international investigation. And the authorities have not reported on the local investigation.
“All means all”
in Face of the protests, four ministers had already submitted their resignations since Sunday. Hassan Diab had indicated Saturday that he was prepared to remain in office for two months, until the organization of early elections in a country dominated by the armed movement Hezbollah, an ally of Iran and the syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.
the participants in The events of the weekend, repressed by the security forces, shouted “revenge” and claimed accounts of a political class totally discredited, which, provided no significant help to the population after the explosion.
The early elections do not appear among the main demands of the street, the Parliament, controlled by political forces, the traditional that have developed an electoral law designed to serve their interests.
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“All means all”, have proclaimed these past two days, the protesters, calling for the departure of all the officers. The effigies of many of them –including Michel Aoun and the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah– were hung to cords of the hanged at the rallies.
“only One person controls this country, it is Hassan Nasrallah,” said Nadim Gemayel, one of the nine mps announced their resignation. “To elect a president, appoint a Prime minister (…) it must be the green light and the approval of Hassan Nasrallah.”
Little hope of finding survivors
While the Lebanese continue to bury their dead, rescue workers have now lost all hope of finding survivors to the explosion. To the despair of the families of the missing -twenty officially – who accuse the authorities of being late to organize the research.
“We call for further research”, launched on the social networks Emilie Hasrouty, whose brother would be buried under the rubble. Of the inhabitants were turned on Sunday evening candles on a road overlooking the harbor, to pay tribute to the victims.
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The drama has revived the popular protests triggered the October 17, 2019, to already denounce the corruption of the leaders but was running out of steam with the pandemic of novel coronavirus.
The international community, which claimed for years to be able to lebanese reforms and fight against corruption, was shown during a video conference on Sunday, co-organised by France and the UN it was more confcontinuing support.
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Double explosion in Beirut
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She announced that she was going “directly” to distribute to the population the 252,7 million of aid promised. And she demanded an investigation of “transparent” on the causes of the disaster which has also killed nearly 300,000 homeless.
