Fuel lines, street protests hit Lebanon as crisis deepens
Parliament head not to accept Eid greetings due to dismal national scene
Cairo: Cars, waiting for refuelling, have stretched outside petrol stations in Lebanon as the country is in the pangs of its worst economic crisis in decades.
Earlier this month, Lebanon’s caretaker government lowered state subsidy on fuel amid a plunge of the local currency and a foreign reserve crunch.
The politically fragile country took another hit on Thursday when former premier Saad Al Hariri renounced a bid to form a new government due to a dispute with President Michel Aoun. Al Hariri was designated last October to form a new cabinet. His resignation has fuelled fears of chaos in Lebanon.
Commercial activities in stores, cafes and restaurants were brought to a paralysis in Lebanon’s northern province of Akkar where cars formed long lines outside fuel stations, Lebanon’s official news agency reported.
Meanwhile, angry protesters against soaring prices of goods, cut off main roads in several parts of Lebanon with blazing tyres and trash cans, according to local media.
In a gesture of disappointment, head of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri said Saturday he would not accept congratulations on this week’s Eid Al Adha due to the situation in the country.
“I ask Almighty Allah that this occasion and others will happen while Lebanon has recovered,” the top legislator was quoted as saying.
International pressure has mounted on Lebanon’s political leaders to introduce badly needed reforms since a massive explosion hit the Beirut Port last August, killing at least 200 people and devastated parts of the city. Donors have linked their financial support to the country to reforms.