Lebanon’s Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad resigned from her post on Sunday, marking the first resignation by a government minister since the massive explosion that shook Beirut , killed more than 158 people, injured over 6,000 made 300,000 homeless. and prompted mass protests.
Abdel Samad cited the failure of the government to carry out reforms and the catastrophic blast that hit Beirut on Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV. Earlier in the week, the Ministry of Information had denied rumors of her impending resignation.
Critics have blamed corruption and poor leadership at the heart of Lebanon’s government for the explosion. The blast killed more than 150 people, leaving 6,000 injured and some 300,000 homeless.
Lebanon’s government has faced difficulties for some time and was already confronting an economic crisis before the explosion took place. Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned on Monday, one day before the blast, blaming the government’s poor effort to pull the country out of its economic woes.
She also apologized to the Lebanese public for “failing” them.
“We did not live up to your expectations,” she said.
Critics have blamed corruption and poor leadership at the heart of Lebanon’s government for the explosion. The blast killed more than 158 people, leaving 6,000 injured and some 300,000 homeless.
Lebanon’s government has faced difficulties for some time and was already confronting an economic crisis before the explosion took place. Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned on Monday, one day before the blast, blaming the government’s poor effort to pull the country out of its economic woes.
Protesters demand government accountability
Abdel Samad’s resignation comes after thousands of protesters took to the streets of Beirut on Saturday night.
Protesters occupied government buildings to voice discontent with government accountability and the handling of the crisis, calling for fresh elections, arrests and resignations — and even a revolution.
Protesters in Beirut called for a revolution as they stormed several government buildings in anger over the deadly blast that devastated much of the city. pic.twitter.com/xtdcVvytf7
— DW News (@dwnews) August 9, 2020
Other minsters quit
This is just in. Minister of Environment and Administrative Development Damianos Kattar also resigned according to media report. In his resignation letter he said the friends of my kids died asa result of the explosion, I can no longer serve in this government .
Minister of Economy Raoul Nehme declared also he will resign . following the massive explosion he was quoted as saying that he ” has no doubt that criminal negligence within successive Lebanese governments led to the devastating explosion” .
There are reports that other ministers will follow . Reports circulated that Justice minister and Finance minister may also resign today
With damages estimated to be over $15 billion (€12.7 billion), French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting today an international aid conference on to raise money to rebuild the devastated city. Macron told the Lebanese leaders that there will be no blank checks anymore.
Macron is among the foreign leaders who have called for an urgent need for reform among the Lebanese political classes.
DW/YL
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