Lebanon protests force Hariri to act
LEBANON BURNS FOR SECOND DAY AS PROTESTERS TELL GOVERNMENT TO QUIT
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri yesterday gave his “partners in government” a 72-hour deadline to stop obstructing reforms, but stopped short of resigning as massive protests rocked the country for a second day despite the government backtracking on plans to tax WhatsApp and internet calls. Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, and many other cities swelled with chants of protesters and the flames of burning tyres as thousands flooded the streets to rally against government corruption. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain warned their citizens against travelling to Lebanon
Tens of thousands of angry protesters blocked roads, burned tyres and marched across Lebanon for a second day yesterday, demanding the removal of a political elite they accuse of looting the economy to the point of breakdown.
Addressing protesters, Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri blamed his rivals in government for obstructing reforms that could have resolved the economic crisis and gave them a 72-hour deadline to stop blocking him, otherwise he hinted he may resign.
He said Lebanon was going through an “unprecedented, difficult time”.
Lebanon’s biggest protests in a decade are reminiscent of the 2011 Arab Spring that toppled four presidents. They have brought people from all sects and walks of life on to the streets, holding banners and chanting slogans calling on Hariri’s government to resign.
“There are those who placed obstacles in front of me since the government was formed, and in the face of all the efforts that I have proposed for reform,” Hariri said.
“Whatever the solution, we no longer have time and I am personally giving myself only a little time. Either our partners in government and in the nation give a frank response to the solution, or I will have another say. The deadline left is very short, it’s 72 hours.”
Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and used water cannons on thousands of protesters outside government headquarters in central Beirut shortly after Hariri’s longawaited speech. The protesters rejected Hariri’s assurances and chanted “Hariri get out”.
Two protesters killed
Protesters poured through the villages and towns of Lebanon’s south, north and east as well as the capital Beirut. They chanted for leaders, including President Michel Aoun, Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, to step down.
A security source said two protesters were killed and four wounded after the bodyguards of a former member of parliament fired into the air in the northern city of Tripoli.
Fires burned in the streets of Beirut. Pavements were littered with broken glass and torn billboards. Demonstrators came close to Aoun’s palace in Baabda.
Addressing protesters from
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the presidential palace, Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law, also blamed other parties for blocking reforms, saying the government must work to stop corruption and avoid imposing new taxes.
“Any alternative to the current government would be far worse and might lead the country into catastrophe and strife,” said Bassil, dismissing calls for the administration to resign.
What triggered protests?
The latest unrest was prompted by anger over inflation, new tax proposals including a fee on WhatsApp voice calls, and the rising cost of living. Seeking ways to boost revenues, a government
■ minister on Thursday announced a new fee for WhatsApp calls, fuelling outrage. But as the protests spread, Telecom Minister Mohammad Choucair revoked the proposed levy.
Why are people angry?
“We came to the streets because we can no longer bear this situation. This regime is totally corrupt,” said Fadi Eisa, 51, who wasmarchingwithhisson.“They are all thieves, they come to the government to fill their pockets, not to serve the country.”
In a country fractured along sectarian lines, the unusually wide geographic reach of these protests highlights the deepening anger of the Lebanese. The government, which includes nearly all of Lebanon’s main parties, has long failed to implement reforms that are vital to resolve the crisis.
Christian politician Samir Geagea and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, whose parties both have ministers in the coalition cabinet, have called on the government to resign.
Debt burden
Shattered by war between 1975 and 1990, Lebanon has one of the world’s highest debt burdens as a share of its economy.
Economic growth has been hit by regional conflict, and unemployment among the under35s runs at 37 per cent.
The steps needed to fix the national finances have long proven elusive. Sectarian politicians, many of them civil war militia leaders, have used state resources for their own political benefit and are reluctant to give that up.