After Hariri's resignation, international calls for calm in Lebanon and demonstrations continue

Countries and organizations called for calm, stability and cooperation among the political parties in Lebanon, after Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced yesterday the resignation of his government in response to the demands of the protesters, who took to the streets nearly two weeks ago demanding the resignation of the government and the overthrow of the sectarian system that has dominated the Lebanese political arena for decades.

Iran on Tuesday called for unity among Lebanon's political groups. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Tehran "calls for unity and sympathy among all sects and political parties in Lebanon, in order to maintain security and stability in the country and achieve the legitimate demands of the Lebanese people."

Mousavi said in a statement that Iran hopes that the Lebanese government and people will pass "this dangerous and sensitive stage successfully."

Clear message
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Lebanon's political leaders to help form a new government that meets the needs of its people.

"The peaceful demonstrations and expressions of national unity in the past 13 days have sent a clear message. The Lebanese people want an efficient and effective government, economic reform and an end to rampant corruption," Pompeo said in a statement on Tuesday.

He stressed that "any acts of violence or provocative actions should stop," calling on "the Lebanese army and security services to continue to ensure the rights and safety of the demonstrators."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for "calm and restraint" in Lebanon.

Farhan Aziz Haq, spokesman for Guterres, said that the latter "calls on all political actors to search for a political solution to maintain the stability of the country and to respond to the aspirations of the Lebanese people."

Guterres also called for respect for the rights of expression and peaceful assembly and to avoid resorting to violence.

Protests erupted in Lebanon two weeks ago in opposition to a government project to increase taxes on citizens in the 2020 budget, to provide new resources.

The government retreated to the protesters, on 21 of this month, by approving the 2020 budget without new taxes on citizens, and other measures, including cutting the salaries of current and former ministers and deputies by half, but the protesters had raised the ceiling of their demands.

Yesterday, Hariri announced his resignation from the premiership after reaching a "dead end" in his efforts to find a solution to the crisis in the country.

Pending consultations
On the other hand, a source close to Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that the form of the next government is not yet clear and will be discussed in the coming days.

The source said in a statement to the Anatolia that the deputies of parliament will determine the personality of the new prime minister through consultations with the President of the country.

He stressed that the date of the President's consultations for the appointment of a new prime minister has not been set yet, ruling out the possibility of forming a new government soon.

Tuesday saw some violence when supporters of Hezbollah and Amal attacked protesters in downtown Beirut and burned some of their tents without causing casualties.

Festive atmosphere
The Lebanese regions witnessed a festive atmosphere after Hariri announced the resignation of his government. Movement groups called for opening roads and ending the strike, but stressed that protests continued in the squares.

In Beirut, the protesters returned to the center of the city, where they confirmed their adherence to all their demands, especially the removal of all the symbols of the ruling political class, and demonstrations continued in Tripoli in northern Lebanon, where the protesters continued to move until all their demands were fulfilled.

Saida also witnessed an atmosphere in which the demonstrators reacted to the resignation announcement, where residents expressed their keenness to continue the sit-ins and complete the march of change for which they came out.

Also in Beirut, supporters of the Future Movement blocked roads to protest the resignation of Hariri alone, without the rest of the ruling political class. Hariri supporters demanded the resignation of Speaker Nabih Berri and President Michel Aoun.

The so-called "Youth Revolution" movement said in a statement that the announcement of the resignation of the government "is only the first stage," and called for "the formation of a small, independent and independent government of specialists (...) in preparation for early parliamentary elections."

She stressed that "the disruption of the state and paralysis of the country requires compliance with the judiciary and accountability, and the return of looted funds, after the establishment of an international local court."