Diab proposes to hold early elections to get out of the crisis
The donors ’conference to aid Lebanon kicks off today with the participation of Trump
Search for the missing under the rubble continues. Father
The French presidency told «AFP» that the donors ’conference dedicated to helping Lebanon following the devastating explosion that rocked Beirut, and organized by Paris in cooperation with the United Nations, will be held today at 12:00 GMT via video. US President Donald Trump announced that he will participate in the conference, as well as European institutions in order to mobilize emergency humanitarian aid for Beirut residents. Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab suggested holding early parliamentary elections in Lebanon to get out of the crisis.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to the Lebanese, during his visit last Thursday to Beirut, that the support would not go to "corruption." A diplomatic source said that the aid will focus on food and infrastructure needs.
"Everyone wants help," Trump said in a tweet on the social networking site "Twitter" after he had a phone conversation with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, preceded by another with the organizer of the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron. "Everyone wants help," adding: "We will hold a video conference with President Macron and leaders from Lebanon and from around the world ».
Later, a White House statement reported that Trump expressed his deep condolences to the people of Lebanon during the phone conversation with Aoun, during which he pledged to continue supporting the United States in securing the necessary emergency supplies to meet health and humanitarian needs during these difficult times.
The two presidents also discussed the rescue efforts, as Trump affirmed that the United States would continue to assist the Lebanese people.
The Lebanese judicial authorities are investigating the explosion, which the authorities said was caused by the storage of a huge amount of ammonium nitrate in the Beirut port for six years.
The day after his visit to Beirut, Macron received a phone call from Trump, whose country pledged to provide more than $ 17 million in aid. The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Abu al-Gheit, said yesterday that he would seek to mobilize Arab energies to provide support to Lebanon. In statements to reporters after his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, he added that the League is "ready to share Arab cards with anything related to the investigation of the Beirut Port tragedy."
He continued: "The Arab League is ready to support what is available, and I will participate in the meeting that France called for to speak and express support for Lebanon, and I will convey to the Arab countries a full report on my observations and this visit, and we intend to present a new item to the League's Economic and Social Council for continuous and permanent support for Lebanon."
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab proposed yesterday, in light of the demonstrations sweeping Beirut, holding early parliamentary elections, giving political forces a two-month deadline to agree on “structural” reforms that would take the country out of its crisis.
"It is only possible to get out of the country's structural crisis by holding early parliamentary elections to produce a new political class and a new parliament," Diab said in a speech.
Diab called on "the political parties to agree on the next stage," adding, "He is ready to assume this responsibility for a period of two months until they agree. What is required is not to stand against the completion of structural reforms until we save the country."
He added that he does not bear responsibility for the deep political and economic crises Lebanon is going through.
In addition, the Lebanese security forces fired tear gas canisters yesterday at protesters in the vicinity of Parliament, in the center of the capital, Beirut.
The "National News Agency" reported that groups of protesters flocked to Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut to participate in a demonstration they called "Time of Reckoning", calling for the government to resign.
Dozens of protesters went to the parliament and threw stones, wood and remnants of last Tuesday's explosion at the security forces present to protect the parliament, in an attempt to enter the parliament.
The protesters tried to remove the iron obstacles placed in front of the entrance to the Council by the security forces to create a loophole to enter the Council.
The protesters chanted: "With our souls and blood, we sacrifice you Beirut," and chanted: "Revolution, revolution."
For its part, the Lebanese Army Command called on the protesters to adhere to peaceful expression and to refrain from cutting roads and encroaching on public and private property. The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the Beirut Port explosion had risen to 158 and the number of injured to 6000, and there are still 21 missing as a result of the explosion that resulted from a fire. In a warehouse that stored 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate. The explosion caused the displacement of about 300 thousand people, while teams from several countries are working in rescue and search for the missing.
And the Syrian embassy in Beirut announced that 43 Syrians were among those killed in the explosion that rocked the port of Beirut, pointing out that the toll is not final.
• A diplomatic source: "The aid will focus on food needs and infrastructure."
• The death toll from the Beirut port explosion rose to 158 ... and the injured 6000.
• 43 Syrians were killed, as a result of the Beirut explosion.