Lebanon’s grand mufti calls for ‘emergency government’

Lebanon’s grand mufti, the top cleric for Sunni Muslims, called on Saturday for the formation of a new emergency government of technical experts and for those in power to meet protesters’ demands.

The country is in political and economic turmoil after three weeks of nationwide protests that prompted Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri to resign last week.

“The time has come to meet the people’s demands and the national free will that transcends sects, political parties, and regions,” Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian said in a televised address on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) birthday.

“The time has come and is opportune, after this national wake-up call, for the reform process to begin and for those in power to form an emergency government made up of competent people, without delay,” Derian said.

It is time “to immediately proceed with carrying out the reform package prepared by Prime Minister Hariri to solve the country’s problems,” he added.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al Rai, Lebanon’s top Christian religious authority, has also called for a change in government to include qualified technocrats.

Before he stepped down, Hariri agreed a package of reforms with partners in the coalition government aimed at easing an economic crisis that sparked the unprecedented protests against the sectarian ruling elite.

The plans included a 50% reduction in the salaries of current and former officials and $3.3 billion in contributions from banks to achieve a “near zero deficit” for the 2020 budget.

But Lebanese politicians have yet to make progress towards agreeing a new government to replace one that was toppled.

The country’s power-sharing system is based on 18 recognised religious sects and dates back to French colonial rule. It allocates posts for each of the country’s communities, forming forming the basis of its major political parties and creating a delicate balance between Christians, Sunnis and Shiites and other groups.

Meanwhile, several petrol stations in protest-hit Lebanon stopped services on Saturday, as reserves ran dry due to a shortage of US dollars to pay suppliers, a syndicate head said.

The shuttering of petrol stations came as demonstrators again took to the street across the country, keeping up their three-week-long movement against a political class regarded as inefficient and corrupt.

“The petrol stations that opened today are the ones that still have reserves. They will close down as soon as supply runs out,” said Sami Brax, the head of the Syndicate of Gas Station Owners.

He said if officials do not facilitate access to dollars by Tuesday, “we will be forced to stop imports and close down all petrol stations.”

Petrol stations receive payment from customers in Lebanese pounds but have to pay importers and suppliers in dollars.

For two decades, the Lebanese pound has been pegged to the US dollar, with both currencies used interchangeably in daily life.

But banks have been reducing access to dollars since the end of the summer, following fears of a shortage in central bank dollar reserves.

In recent days, banks halted all ATM withdrawals in dollars and severely restricted conversions from Lebanese pounds.

Many Lebanese have had to instead buy dollars from money changers at a higher exchange rate, in what amounts to a de-facto devaluation of the local currency that has sparked price hikes.

The official exchange rate has remained fixed at 1,507 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, but the rate in the parallel market has surpassed 1,800.

“The banks are under pressure from people, both inside Lebanon and abroad,” said economist Naseeb Ghabreel, after many rushed to withdraw their dollar savings or convert Lebanese pound accounts.

Since September, petrol station owners have accused banks of failing to provide them with the dollars they need and threatened strikes.

In response, the central bank last month pledged to facilitate access to the greenback for importers of petroleum products, wheat and medicine. But the measure has not yet gone into effect.

Agencies