Foreign
INTENSIVE talks are underway among the various political parties in Lebanon to try to form a new government that will quickly contain public anger after the massive Beirut port blast, political sources said on Wednesday.
“All efforts are being exerted to name a new premier and form a government before Sept. 1, when French President Emmanuel Macron is due to return to the country for political talks,’’ the sources told dpa.
Macron visited Beirut on Aug. 6, two days after the port blast. He met with the Lebanese leaders and toured the devastated areas.
Hassan Diab resigned as prime minister on Monday amid protests over the blast that killed 165 people and wounded 6,000 others.
“The new premier must be able to form an emergency government to contain the anger of the people. That is why he needs to be from outside the current Lebanese ruling class,’’ a Lebanese lawmaker, who requested anonymity, told dpa.
According to the lawmaker, he needs to restore trust to the Lebanese people. Political observers believe that Lebanon is under heavy pressure from the international community to name a premier.
Leaders have struggled to map a way out of the country’s worst economic crisis since the civil war that raged there between 1975 and 1990.
The Lebanese parliament is due to meet on Thursday to discuss the aftermath of the blast and ways to avoid the country entering a political vacuum. (dpa/NAN)
– Aug. 12, 2020 @ 11.12 GMT |
Tags: Intensive talks under way to form new government in Lebanon
