Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Beirut home of Lebanon’s new prime minister yesterday, calling for Hassan Diab’s resignation less than 10 days after he was appointed.
Lebanon is without a cabinet and in the grips of a deepening economic crisis after a two-month-old protest movement forced Saad Hariri to stand down as prime minister on October 29.
Anti-government protests continued after Hariri’s resignation, while political parties negotiated for weeks before nominating Diab, a professor and former education minister, to replace him on December 19.
Echoing protester demands, Diab promised to form a government of independent experts within six weeks — in a country where appointing a cabinet can take months.
But protesters yesterday were unconvinced by his promise. “We’re here to bring down Hassan Diab. He doesn’t represent us. He’s one of them,” said one young demonstrator, referring to the country’s ruling elite, who protesters despise collectively.
Lebanese protesters shout slogans outside a branch of BLC Bank in Beirut, yesterday in protest against nationwide imposed restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad in an attempt to conserve dwindling foreign currency reserves.