Can Hariri’s resignation defuse Lebanon’s crisis?
After nearly two weeks of popular protests, Prime Minister Saad Hariri has resigned.
The resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his cabinet was one of the main demands of Lebanon‘s protest movement.
After nearly two weeks of mass protests over corruption and economic hardship, Hariri has been forced to step down.
He handed his resignation to President Michel Aoun, who has accepted it and has now tasked Hariri to lead a caretaker government.
But many protesters say this is not enough and are demanding the president also resigns and parliamentary elections be held.
There is concern that this could lead to a power vacuum in Lebanon.
What happens next and what would another power vacuum mean?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault
Guests:
Omar Nashabe – Political analyst and former advisor on human rights at the Ministry of Interior in Lebanon
Bilal Malaeb – Researcher at the Institute of Global Affairs at the London School of Economics
Naim Salem – Professor of international affairs and diplomacy at Notre Dame University Lebanon