Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has announced his resignation as prime minister after he reached what he called a dead end. Hariri submitted his resignation to President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace.
"All this period has tried to find a way to listen to the voice of the people and protect the country from the dangers of security and livelihood," Hariri told a news conference from his residence in Beirut's center of Beirut.
He added: "I do not hide that I reached a dead end to resolve the crisis, and must be a positive shock to the street, I will go to the Presidential Palace in Baabda to present the resignation of the government of President Michel Aoun."
He continued: My resignation I put at the disposal of the President of the Republic and the Lebanese, and today we all have a responsibility to protect Lebanon, and the advancement of the economy and we have a serious opportunity.
Hariri's resignation came on the 13th day of popular protests in various Lebanese regions demanding the overthrow of the regime and the formation of a reform government far from the ruling political class.
reactions
In the context of the internal reactions to the resignation of Hariri, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement that President Aoun is convinced of the need to create a positive shock and to form a government capable of facing challenges.
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt called for dialogue and calm, saying in a tweet on Twitter: "At this crucial moment, after Hariri announced the resignation of the government after he tried hard to reach a settlement, and we tried with him, I call again for dialogue and calm."
For his part, the head of the Lebanese Forces Party Samir Geagea welcomed the resignation of Hariri in response to the demands of the protests, and called for the formation of a competent government (technocrats).
Lebanese Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said Hariri's resignation was necessary to prevent a slide into civil strife.
| Lebanese areas celebrate Hariri's resignation (Reuters) |
Festive atmosphere
The Lebanese regions witnessed a festive atmosphere after Hariri announced the resignation of his government.
The resignation announcement was preceded by groups of young people opposed to popular protests in Lebanon, attacking the protesters in the center of the capital Beirut;
The attackers demolished and burned the tents of the protesters in the Martyrs Square and Riyadh al-Solh, and clashed with others in the Ring Bridge area, and the army pushed security reinforcements to the center of the capital, and his forces are working to separate the protesters and protesters.
The protests began on October 17 against a government project to raise taxes on citizens in the 2020 budget, before demonstrators raised their demands to recover looted funds, fight rampant corruption and hold accountable spoilers.
The protests continued despite Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government last week announcing a series of measures aimed at pacifying protesters and implementing long-awaited reforms to fill gaps in the public budget.