For the fourth consecutive day, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Lebanon. Because of the severe economic crisis in the country, the demonstrators again demanded a change of government on Sunday. In Beirut, people gathered in front of the government palace and waved national flags. There were also protests outside the capital and in other parts of the country.
"You should all go, we do not trust you," was the sign of a demonstrator. "The Lebanese people now have the floor, not the political leaders," it said on another. The protests that started on Thursday were partly escalated, but on Sunday the rallies remained peaceful.
The trigger for the demonstrations was a scheduled charge on voice calls via services such as WhatsApp. The government quickly withdrew the plans, but the protests continued. On Friday, demonstrators paralyzed public life in Beirut with street blockades and burning barricades. They called for a comprehensive transformation of the political system and denounced corruption, nepotism and poor living conditions in the country.
Worry before months of political vacuum
Monday sees a 72-hour deadline set by Prime Minister Saad Hariri for his political partners to find a way out of the crisis. Out of concern about possible riots after the deadline banks and schools should be closed on Monday.
Hariri and his colleagues worked over the weekend on a plan, with which they hope to satisfy the displeasure of the population, as the German press agency learned from government circles. It would be crucial 24 hours before, it was said. Either the government can convince the people of their willingness to reform, or it threatens the "total collapse".
Observers fear that a government resignation in the small Mediterranean country could create a political vacuum for months. On Saturday evening, the chairman of the right-wing Lebanese forces, Samir Geagea, announced the resignation of all four ministers of his party from the cabinet. "We are convinced that the government is unable to take the necessary steps to tackle the situation," Geagea said.
The small country with 6.8 million inhabitants is struggling with an economic and financial crisis. The national debt amounts to 86 billion US dollar (approximately 77 billion euro), which corresponds to a quota of approximately 150 per cent of the gross domestic product. It is one of the highest debt ratios in the world.
