Protesters gather in Lebanon’s Zahle, Beirut amid PM speculation
Protesters have gathered outside the Central Bank in the
Lebanese city of Zahle in protest at the bank's policies amid the ongoing
political and economic crisis in the country, reported the Lebanese channel LBC
on Friday.
In the capital Beirut, young men attempted to block entry to
the Ministry of Finance's TVA building, reported the National News Agency
(NNA).
Lebanon is still without a prime minister or cabinet
following former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation on October 29.
Samir Khatib has been reported by Lebanese media outlets as
the most likely candidate to replace Hariri, after the latter said he has no
intention of forming a new government.
President Michel Aoun had announced binding consultations
with MPs to designate Lebanon’s next prime minister for Thursday, before they
were later postponed.
As of Friday, semi-official capital controls were still in
place, limiting the amount of cash that individuals and businesses can access,
despite Lebanon paying back a Eurobond worth $1.5 billion that was scheduled to
mature on Thursday.
