After the blast that killed more than 160 people and sparked violent protests, the Lebanese government is expected to resign today, according to two CNN sources. A senior source in one of the Lebanese ministries told CNN that he believes the government will resign by Monday evening. Three cabinet ministers have already left, along with seven members of parliament.
Lebanon is currently going through the worst economic crisis in decades, accompanied by an increase in the number of people infected with coronavirus. Tuesday's blast, which destroyed a good part of the capital and damaged another part, so far is said to have come as a result of keeping ammonium nitrate, a powerful explosive, in unsafe conditions.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab, a self-proclaimed reformer, came to power last December, two months after a popular uprising toppled the previous government. His government is backed by major political parties, including Iran's political and militant group Hezbollah.
Now, the country needs to find a third prime minister in less than a year to fight the crisis and rebuild the country. The Lebanese currency has lost 70% of its value since the start of government protests in October. Poverty has increased and the World Bank predicts that more than half of the country’s population will be impoverished by 2020.
The government was considered powerless in the face of a growing financial crisis. The state has not yet passed a law on capital control, exacerbating the situation. It is also reported that billions of US dollars have been withdrawn from Lebanon by the country’s economic elite.
The protests over the weekend were violent. Angry citizens "occupied" several ministries and pelted security forces with stones and pieces of glass. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and, in some cases, fire.
Source: CNN
