He called for getting rid of the sectarian system .. Aoun calls for a government of people supported by the people

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Tuesday called for the formation of a competent government to overcome Lebanon's economic crisis and combat corruption in the country.

On the third anniversary of the presidency, Aoun said in a speech addressed to the Lebanese amid mass protests against the performance of the ruling political class that Lebanon is at the gates of a new government, adding that the only consideration required in its formation is to meet the aspirations of the Lebanese.

He added that the ministers should be chosen according to competence and experience and not according to political loyalties or appease the leaders, pointing out that Lebanon is at a dangerous crossroads, especially in economic terms.

In this context, he stressed that Lebanon desperately needs a harmonious government capable of production that is not hampered by political conflicts and rivalries and supported by its people.

In his speech, which he described as a statement of account, which comes on the occasion of the third anniversary of his inauguration, the Lebanese president said that the current crisis is due to the expansion of wastage gutters and corruption is covered by the crises and wars of the ocean.

He urged the Lebanese to press their representatives in parliament to pass anti-corruption laws, such as the establishment of a special court for crimes against public money, a national anti-corruption body, the recovery of looted funds, and the lifting of immunities and bank secrecy for current and former officials.

In this context, he spoke of the root of corruption at the levels of administration and politics and in part of society, and declared his determination to combat corruption, saying that this would be through the application of existing laws, and then the adoption of the necessary legislation to promote transparency and accountability for all.

The Lebanese president defended his record over the past years in tackling corruption, saying that the priority in the past three years was security stability and the elimination of terrorism, adding that he insisted on the adoption of oil and gas extraction decrees, and that exploration will begin within two months.

In his speech to the Lebanese, Aoun warned against the exploitation of the street in exchange for another street, which was considered the most dangerous that could threaten the unity of the homeland and his civil peace.

He stressed that there is a need to move from the current sectarian system to a civil system, and pledged in this context to make efforts to establish a civil and get rid of the sectarian system, pointing out that the beginning will be the enactment of a unified personal status law.

Continuous protests
Meanwhile, protests calling for change continue, with thousands demonstrating again in Beirut and Tripoli, while sit-ins continue in other cities in southern Lebanon.

In Tripoli, a crowd of several thousand demonstrators this evening, said Al Jazeera correspondent Ihab al-Aqdi that they held a large banner saying that they continue until the overthrow of the President of the Republic and the House of Representatives.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Johnny Tanios said the protesters in Beirut say they are ready for everything if they feel the authority is slow to implement the demands of the street, including the formation of a new government composed of technocrats.

Tanios said security forces had reopened most of Lebanon's main roads after they were blocked on Wednesday by protesters demanding accountability for the ruling political class.

The security forces opened the road at the Ring Bridge linking the two halves of Beirut, as well as the coastal road between Beirut and Tripoli, while protesters continue to cut a limited number of roads in the Bekaa and North governorates.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Rimal said Thursday was calm in most southern cities (Sidon, Tire and Nabatiyeh).

Introductory consultations
Politically, Al-Jazeera correspondent Johnny Tanios quoted presidential circles that President Michel Aoun is conducting the necessary consultations and contacts in preparation for parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister.

He said that the presidency seeks political consensus between the various parliamentary blocs on the personality that will be assigned to form the government, and the form of the new government and the process of its formation, adding that the presidency considers that Lebanon is in an exceptional circumstance, and that the formation of the government must be accelerated.

It is noteworthy that the Lebanese President had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, but charged him to conduct business until the formation of a new government.

The Hizbullah bloc in the Lebanese parliament has said that the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri will contribute to wasting time on implementing reforms and approving the country's general budget and further complicating the current crisis in Lebanon.