Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday called road blocks across the country ‘acts of sabotage’, urging the Lebanese Army and security forces to intervene to reopen roads.
Addressing economic and financial security meeting at Baabda Presidential Palace, President Aoun said blocking roads “goes beyond he mere expression of opinion and is an organized act of sabotage that aims to disrupt stability” in the country.
In this context, the Lebanese president said security forces and the Army “must carry out their duties in full and enforce the law with no hesitation.”
Referring to the economic crisis and the rise of USD exchange rate in the country, President Aoun warned that such developments have repercussions social and national security.
“It requires swift and decisive financial, judicial and security measures to prosecute those manipulating the livelihood of the Lebanese,” the president was quoted as saying by local media.
He ordered the state administrations and concerned authorities to suppress violations especially manipulation and monopolization of food prices.
““It is not permissible to continue in this chaos, which harms people-livelihood.”
Caretaker PM Diab
For his part, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned that the current situation in the country has been ‘extremely dangerous.’
“There are those who are manipulating the US Dollar exchange rate, as they want, who are also controlling the fate of the country.”
He slammed that unknown platforms are in control of the US Dollar exchange rate, noting that the state “is unable to confront these platforms.”
“These platforms are political, not financial. Therefore, the real goal of these platforms is not to set the exchange rate on the black market, but rather they aim to devastate Lebanon by affecting the social and living reality to push people out to the streets.”
After discussion, the meeting attendees decided to take several steps in a bid to confront manipulation of USD exchange rate and to prevent road blocks.
Source: Lebanese media
