BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2021) The Lebanese army, in the current situation in the country, supports and is ready to protect the people's right to peaceful expression of opinions, but opposes encroachments on property, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun said at a security meeting in Yarze.
"The army is for the freedom of peaceful expression of thought, which is protected by the constitution and international law, but without encroaching on public and private property. The army will not allow encroachments on the stability and security of the population," Gen. Aoun said.
He said the military suffered and was starving like the rest of the people. According to him, the budget of the army is decreasing every year, the available funds may not be enough until the end of the year.
"We spoke with the responsible persons, since the situation affects the morale of the military. But unfortunately, we did not achieve a result," the commander said.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday chaired a meeting of heads of security services and military departments, during which he called on all structures to abide by the law without exception, calling the blocking of roads, which had been going on for a week across the country, "an encroachment on the rights of citizens and organized riots."
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Saturday the country was on the brink of a public explosion and at a point of no return amid the deepening crisis.
For a week now, there have been protests with road blocking all over Lebanon. Demonstrators block the center of Beirut, the main metropolitan highways, as well as highways in the south, north and east of the country with burning tires. The protesters are demanding that the authorities start real actions to get out of the economic crisis and improve life.
The unrest began after the value of the national Currency on the black market rose to 10,000 Lebanese Pounds per US Dollar, while the official exchange rate in banks remained at 1,500 per US dollar. The Lebanese pound has depreciated 15-17 percent in recent days alone. Foreign currency accounts of depositors in banks have remained frozen since October 2019, and prices for many goods have increased by more than 200 percent during the time.
Lebanon has been going through a deep economic and political crisis since the fall of 2019. During this time, two governments resigned: that of Saad Hariri amid protests and that of Hassan Diab after a blast in the port of Beirut. By the end of September 2020, local authorities planned to announce the makeup of a new cabinet led by Mustapha Adib.
Instead, Adib announced on September 26, 2020 his resignation and refusal to form a government, saying the political blocs had not abandoned politicization of the formation process. Late in October 2020, Hariri once again received the post of prime minister. He declared his readiness to promptly assemble a cabinet to take advantage of the French initiative and receive support. In fact, Hariri never managed to find a compromise cabinet that would satisfy all parties.
