Political paralysis, currency crash anger Lebanese

ARMY CHIEF BERATES POLITICIANS AFTER AOUN CALLS TO CLEAR PROTESTS

Lebanon’s president told the army and security forces yesterday to clear roadblocks after a week of protests over a collapsing economy and paralysed government, but the army chief warned that troops should not get sucked into the political deadlock.

President Michel Aoun issued the call to open up the roads across the country after a meeting with top officials while the army’s top commander held a separate meeting with military commanders at which he stressed the right to peaceful protest.

Army chief General Joseph Aoun also berated Lebanon’s sectarian-based politicians for their handling of the crisis, warning of an unstable security situation. “The officer also is suffering and is hungry, to the officials I say, where are you going? What are you waiting for? What are you planning to do?” he said in a statement, urging them to find long-lasting solutions to stop the countrys financial meltdown.

One political source said tension between the president and army commander grew after the request to clear roads. Since the Lebanese pound, which has lost 85 per cent of its value, tumbled to a new low last week, protesters blocked roads daily.

Experience of ‘75 will not be repeated

General Aoun warned against pulling the army into political bickering. “The fragmentation of the army means the end of the entity, this is impossible to let happen. The army is holding together and the experience of ‘75 will not be repeated,” he said. The army has long been billed as a rare institution of national pride and unity. Its collapse at the start of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, when it split along sectarian lines, catalyzed Lebanon’s descent into militia rule.

Yesterday’s meeting at the presidency also stipulated a crackdown on anyone violating monetary and credit laws, including foreign exchange bureaus, a statement by the president’s office said.

“We have said several times that there will be an escalation because the state isn’t doing anything,” said Pascale Nohra, a protester on a main highway in the Jal Al Dib area.

The officer also is suffering and is hungry, to the officials I say, where are you going? What are you waiting for? What are you planning to do?”

General Joseph Aoun | Lebanon’s Army chief

Reuters ■ A demonstrator stands near the burning tyres during a protest in Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut. Yesterday, three main roads leading south into the capital were blocked while in Beirut itself, protesters briefly closed a road in front of the central bank.