REPORTAGE
The proposal may not be enough to calm the anger of protesters. On Saturday, four days after the gigantic explosion at the port of Beirut, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the capital, some of them going so far as to occupy ministries. In an attempt to ease tensions, the disputed Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, announced that he would propose early legislative elections, the only way, according to him, "to get out of the structural crisis". But in the crowd, many demonstrators consider this measure insufficient, even counterproductive.
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"We don't want an early election. We want everyone to leave here. Leave us alone, we no longer need you", explains Line at the microphone of Europe 1, while the demonstrators are disperse. Protective helmet still on her head, she joined her friends to debrief and discuss the Prime Minister's proposal. For this young law student, early elections would be unnecessary because of the electoral system, based on religion, she said. “For example, you are an Orthodox Christian, you are limited to a certain geographic part of Lebanon and you vote for someone who is also an Orthodox Christian. That's how it is, so it's too limited. Before concluding, fatalist: "It was done so that the same politicians would win. They will be the same politicians, again ".
"We want new blood"
According to Line, the legislative elections of 2018 had not changed anything. Beside her, Sonia and Karim believe that this proposal from the Prime Minister looks like a desperate gesture. "It doesn't matter, it's too late", regrets Karim. "We don't believe anything they say. We no longer trust this government." And Sonia adds: "We must change the entire electoral system, and that it is not based on religion or on political parties. It must be based on the needs of the population, on meritocracy. C 'that's why we want new blood, a new country. "
And these demonstrators do not even ask the question of going to vote. For them, he said, "the revolution has only just begun".