PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2019) The resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri will only exacerbate the ongoing crisis in the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the French parliament's lower house on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Hariri announced the resignation of his entire cabinet following two weeks of civil unrest against the government. According to Hariri, the situation is going nowhere.
"Lebanon is affected by a very grave crisis. For two weeks the country, already fragile due to the situation in the region, has suffered a mass mobilization of the population, incidents, tension and a crisis of trust. Prime Minister Saad Hariri has just resigned and it will only worsen the crisis," Le Drian said.
He added that France remained convinced that it was important to urge the Lebanese authorities to do everything possible to stabilize the institutions and the country's territorial integrity, and that the Lebanese leadership had to listen to the people's demands.
Lebanese citizens took to the streets on October 17 when the government announced tax hikes on internet calls and tobacco in an attempt to salvage a deteriorating economy. Although the government quickly scrapped the plan, the demonstrations have since ballooned into widespread demands for the resignation of the government and political reforms. Blocking roads and highways during the rallies has been a common occurrence throughout the country.
