Tensions in Lebanon are on the rise and Prime Minister Saad Hariri tries to stop the havoc from escalating as he approved a package of economic reforms and a new budget for next year without additional taxes.
While some protestors approved these measures, others said that the whole package is an empty promise.
According to the Associated Press News, hundreds of thousands of people have flooded public squares across the country in the largest protest in over 15 years, unifying an often-divided public in their revolt against status-quo leaders who have ruled for three decades and brought the economy to the brink of disaster. Sparked by proposed new taxes, the protests have shaken the country and top leaders who are scrambling to come up with concessions to appease the public.
According to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, no Lebanese government in history has taken such radical steps in the area of the state economy. He said this after a five-hour Cabinet meeting as he announced a couple of economic and financial reforms.
‘’The decisions that we made today might not fulfill your goals, but for certain it achieves what I have been seeking for two years. These decisions are not in exchange for anything. I am not going to ask you to stop protesting and stop expressing your anger. This is a decision that you take,’’ said Hariri to the protesters.
Despite his words, the protestors keep chanting: “The people want to bring down the regime.’’
One protestor said that the politicians in Lebanon have not been able to adopt reform in 30 years, so how did they come up with them in three days.
“This is a joke. Do they think we are fools? The people want the government to resign. People see that this government cannot be given another chance,’’ said the protestor who was there with her two little sons.
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