
BLOOMBERG/SIMA DIAB
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that he supported the creation of a government of experts to lead the country out of crisis and pledged to dedicate the rest of his term to ending a sectarian power-sharing system he called a ‘destructive disease’, reported Bloomberg.
The Lebanese president said that previous governments dominated by political parties were stymied by divisions and had failed to meet the aspirations of the public.
However, Aoun stopped short of setting a date for binding parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister, following the stepping down of Saad Hariri in the face of two weeks of nationwide protests that have engulfed the country.
“I pledge today to exert all efforts to build a modern, civil state and uproot sectarianism, which is the weakest link of our community and nation, and the first step toward that is a civil status law,” said Aoun.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters who’ve taken to the streets in recent weeks have demanded the ouster of an entire political class they blame for endemic corruption and economic mismanagement, calling for a smaller cabinet comprised of technocrats who can lead the country to early elections.
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