Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab considered today, Saturday, that the events that his country recently witnessed, "a coup attempt against the government", stressing that it "fell and did not succeed in deepening the crisis."

In a speech from the government palace in Beirut, broadcast by local media, Diab said that "the government enjoys a high percentage of citizens' trust, which disturbed many of those who bet on its failure, so the rumors and news fabricated and we continued to work," without mentioning specific persons or entities.

He stressed that "the coup attempt fell, and all secret and public meetings and orders of internal and joint operations did not succeed in overthrowing a workshop (in reference to the government) revealing corruption ... but rather they reaffirmed that people's lives do not concern them, and that their goal is to protect themselves, not to express Real people ache. "

Diab blamed "the situation for those who flooded the country with debts, as a result of the waste policy (for money), and they were not trustworthy on the confidence of the people that they gave them."

He continued, "Amid this financial and living concern, some tried to invest by pumping lies and rumors, and it was required to prevent the government from removing the rubble that hides the secrets of corruption."

Pounce on the revolution

"We are facing the challenge of going back to before October 17, because there are those who believe that the time has come to attack the revolution, and they want to restore the keys to the structure of corruption and to re-fortify its walls so that people can once again be deceived by the money they have deposited with them," he said. Treasury ".

Since October 17, Lebanon has witnessed popular protests that raise economic and political demands. The Hariri government was forced to resign on the 29th of the same month, and was replaced by the Diab government on February 11.

Diab went on to say, "As for the plan to manipulate the price of the dollar, here lies the plan of the coup against the uprising (...) and the government, we do not want to remain ineffective, we are not like them and we will not be, but with confidence I say that we will not allow people’s money to be wasted." .

And he added, "Poor the state and the citizens and dispose of the people's money, but the state is not bankrupt. There is financial stumbling, but the country is rich in citizens and its resources. Your rights are reserved with banks and the bank of Lebanon and the state is the guarantor."

Diab called the Lebanese "more patience because the battle with corruption is very fierce, because the corrupt will not surrender voluntarily."

He demanded that his citizens "refrain from distorting the protests in order to cross the ordeal and protect Lebanon, I am sure that the crisis will be overcome."

Protests

The center of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, today, Saturday, witnessed a march in protest against the deteriorating economic and social conditions in the country, while the number of people injured in the clashes in Tripoli since the evening of Thursday, has risen to 85, including eight soldiers.

Today's rally came in response to an invitation from leftist and nationalist parties and groups of the popular movement, and the participants condemned the financial collapse in the country, and demanded the formation of a national rescue government with legislative powers, and the holding of early parliamentary elections.

The participants held banners calling for the prosecution of those who described them as corrupt, the recovery of looted funds and the non-compliance with the conditions of the International Monetary Fund.

These developments came after a meeting of the Lebanese government, in the wake of which it decided to pump the dollar into the market, starting from Monday.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that the high dollar exchange rate - which was recorded on Thursday - is part of a decree that should be faced.

The dollar in Lebanon exceeded the threshold of five thousand Lebanese pounds, in one of the worst currency crises in the country.

Lebanon is witnessing the worst economic collapse in decades, coinciding with a liquidity crisis and the banks' failure to provide depositors with their money in dollars.

The crisis caused an increase in the rate of inflation and made nearly half of the population below the poverty line, as tens of thousands lost part of their salaries or jobs, and ancient institutions and hotels closed their doors.