Lebanon protests "understand" the causes of the crisis and fear escalation and travel warning

Three former prime ministers in Lebanon on Friday expressed their understanding of the protests in the country, but reiterated their rejection of any escalation and expressed their support for Prime Minister Saad Hariri in what they considered "ordeal", while Arab countries warned their citizens not to travel to Lebanon.

This was stated in a joint statement by Fouad Siniora (19 July 2005 - 9 November 2009), Najib Mikati (13 June 2011 - 22 March 2013), and Tamam Salam (15 February 2014 - 18 December 2016).

Siniora, Mikati and Salam said that "these (did not name them) raised the ceiling of confrontation by direct incitement to turn the table on everyone."

They affirmed that "putting the whole issue on the shoulders of Hariri ... is a frequent approach to imposing constitutional abuses."

They launched three items, the first of which is "absolute understanding of the popular movement and the call to maintain the peace of movement" and the second "appealing to all political leadership not to launch useless escalation and emotional positions."

The third clause included solidarity with Hariri "in this ordeal and standing by him."

The three former heads of government acknowledged that "Lebanon has entered a delicate turn in light of a looming political crisis." They stressed that there is "popular anger that we understand as a result of the economic crisis and stifling living experienced by the country and the Lebanese."

The joint statement talked that "what is being preceded by the escalating positions of the parties were and continue to be key participants in power for a long time," without naming anyone.

Taxes and increases
A recent decision to impose taxes on whatsapp communications, in a rare decision to increase the value added from 11 to 14 percent, sparked outrage since Thursday evening.

Thousands of angry Lebanese protested and protests reached the heart of the capital Beirut amid open calls from the party and the public for the resignation of the Hariri government, which canceled its meeting today.

However, the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, who joined the government with four ministers, called on the Hariri government to resign because of its "utter failure to stop the deterioration of the economic situation."

"The best that Prime Minister Saad Hariri can offer in these difficult and difficult moments is to present the resignation of this government as a prelude to forming another completely different government," Geagea wrote on his Twitter account.

It is completely new and can lead the economic recovery required in the country. "

For his part, the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, former MP Walid Jumblatt, advocates of his party to demonstrate peacefully against what he called the Covenant, in reference to President Michel Aoun.

Jumblatt said that the Covenant, through what he described as his strong man, Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil, to blame others, which is hindering all reform initiatives, as he put it.

For his part, called the head of the Phalanges Party, MP Sami Gemayel to hold early parliamentary elections, to hold the political class accountable for what he called fraud and trading votes of citizens for their own interests.

In the same context, Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, warned their citizens in Lebanon and urged them to stay away from the places of protests taking place in the country, while the Kuwaiti Embassy in Lebanon asked its citizens wishing to travel to Lebanon to wait because of the protests and unrest currently witnessing.