LEBANESE PREXY TELLS HARIRI TO FORM GOV’T OR SHIP OUT

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Wednesday called on premier-designate Saad Hariri either to step down or form a government as soon as possible to tackle the country's economic woes, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

"I invite Hariri to the presidential palace for the sake of the immediate formation of the government, in agreement with me and in accordance with the mechanism and constitutional standards," Aoun said in a televised address to the people of Lebanon.

Aoun said if the prime minister-designate found himself unable to form and preside over a national government that addressed the dangerous conditions in the country, "he must make room for anyone capable of doing so."

Hariri, a veteran politician, has failed to form a new government despite attempts since October, due to political divisions among rival factions.

Aoun's address came a day after the Lebanese lira tumbled to a record low against the dollar on a parallel market.

The Lebanese lira fell sharply on the black market and traded at 15,000 to the dollar, compared to around 1,500 before the economic crisis began.

The Lebanese lira has lost 90 percent of its value since October 2019. The dire economic situation, the worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, recently led to nationwide protests as people blocked roads and urged the government to act.

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