MP Talal Arslan’s supporters blocked the Aley roundabout which links Beirut to Damascus and firearms were heard in the vicinity and Arslan’s mansion in Khaldeh, a southern suburb of Beirut
They were protesting the cabinet lineup.
Barely an hour after the cabinet was formed Minister of State Talal Arslan resigned his ministerial post .
He announced his resignation during a press conference and accused PM Nagib Mikati of lying and causing a rift between him , MP Walid Jumblatt and MP Michel Aoun.
He said “I cannot sit next to a man like Mikati in the same cabinet ”
He said “Mikati lied to all the Lebanese and caused rifts between many people , he thinks he is the smartest and this is something we cannot accept”. He added :” I have lost all confidence in Mikati and his abilities to seriously run the country”.
Arslan urged his supporters to maintain calm ad go back home stressing that he has no dispute with the army nor the security forces
Earlier today also Arslan’s supporters blocked the Hasbani road linking Marjayoun and Beqaa in protest against the cabinet lineup.
Arslan was always insisting on being allocated a ministerial portfolio , but instead he was assigned a ministry of state . He accused Mikati of discriminating against the Druze community.
Ministries of state are usually used as a filler to complete the lineup
Tripoli:
In another development OTV reported that four Inerga rounds were fired between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tebbaneh in Tripoli.
Update: The army intervened and reopened the Hasbani road
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