The Future Movement warned Lebanese President Michel Aoun and his political team of what he described as persisting in violating and violating the constitution, and harnessing state institutions for them, while the security forces warned that they would not stand idly by in front of the suffering of the Lebanese.
The current said - in a statement - that it will not stand idly by and will face these violations in accordance with the principles, laws and obligations of the constitution, calling on all Lebanese forces to confront what it described as policies to manipulate the constitution and transform the country's presidency into a headquarters to meet partisan ambitions.
The current - which is led by Saad Hariri - added that the invitation made by President Aoun to convene the Council of Ministers constitutes a constitutional innovation, according to the statement.
The Future Movement's statement came in response to Aoun's call for an extraordinary session of the caretaker government to discuss the hydrocarbon crisis.
A statement issued by the presidency - yesterday, Friday - said that the invitation came after the insistence of the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, on his position despite the laws and decisions that enable him to reverse his decision and re-provide support for oil derivatives.
Diab's government rejected Aoun's invitation to convene, as well as the Central Bank's decision (Anatolia)
Diab refuses Aoun's invitation
On the other hand, Diab rejected Aoun's invitation to hold a government session, justifying this by his keenness not to violate the constitution, because his government is for conducting business only.
And the Prime Minister's Media Office said - in a statement - "Since the government has resigned since the tenth of August 2020, and in compliance with the text of Article 64 of the Constitution, which limits the powers of the resigned government to the narrow sense of conducting business, and to prevent any confusion, Prime Minister Dr. Hassan Diab is still On his initial position not to violate the constitution, and therefore not to invite the Council of Ministers to meet.
Earlier, the government announced its rejection of the Central Bank's decision, saying that it was in violation of the law issued by Parliament, and contrary to government policy.
And she said - after a small emergency meeting she held the day before yesterday, Thursday - that she concluded the need to continue supporting the import of fuel, and to start rationalizing it as soon as the financing card for the poorest families is put into effect.
impending explosion
On the other hand, the Free Patriotic Movement in Lebanon - which supports President Aoun - called on the caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, to reverse his decision and hold an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers to take "measures to prevent the explosion."
The current - which is headed by former Minister Gebran Bassil - added in a statement that the constitution does not prevent Diab from holding this session, accusing the Governor of the Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, of carrying out what he called a conspiracy aimed at dismantling the state and spreading chaos in Lebanon.
For his part, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that "he will face difficulties, no matter how large the obstacles are, and some people evade their duties," and stressed that "the path of forming the next government is on track."
Aoun added that the difficult conditions the country is going through "are the result of wrong financial policies that cannot destroy our resolve to address them."
Aoun said that he hopes that what he described as white smoke will emerge soon, and a government will be formed that will bear the burdens to confront the accumulation of crises in the country.
fuel subsidy
And the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, stressed that he is continuing his decision to lift the subsidy on hydrocarbons and that he will not back down from it, unless Parliament passes a law allowing the bank to use the mandatory foreign currency reserve amounting to 14 billion dollars.
He added that this reserve is what remains with the "Central" of depositors' money, and it is a private property that the state has no right to dispose of.
He stressed that all officials - including the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, and the head of the caretaker government, Hassan Diab - were aware of the decision to lift fuel subsidies.
Salameh pointed out that the dollar market prices are manipulated by the political crisis, and that the Central Bank does not interfere in the political process.
He also said that he had not taken the decision to lift the push for a political coup or obstruct the formation of the government.
The central bank governor revealed that $800 million was spent on imports last July, which was supposed to suffice for 3 months.
The Lebanese army began raiding gas stations and confiscating stored quantities of gasoline (Reuters)
Army and security forces
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army announced that it had started raiding gas stations and confiscating the stored quantities of gasoline to be distributed free of charge to citizens, while the security forces pledged to move, and that they "will not remain idly" in front of the suffering of the Lebanese.
The army said - in a statement - "after a large number of fuel stations closed their doors to customers due to the absence of an official price after the subsidy was lifted."
His units "will begin raiding the closed filling stations and will confiscate all quantities of gasoline that are being seized stored in these stations."
The statement added that "the seized quantities will be distributed directly to the citizen without allowance." The army did not mention the method it will adopt in distributing the seized quantities.
Because of political differences, Lebanon has been unable for nearly a year to form a government that puts an end to the economic collapse, and the failure of the current caretaker government, which resigned 6 days after the disaster of the Beirut Port explosion - on August 4, 2020 - which killed more than 200 people and injured more than 200 people. About 7 thousand others.