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Lebanon’s former heads of government warned that “the haters and the hired” are trying to harness the anger of the people and their difficult conditions to inflame discord in Tripoli.
This came in a joint statement issued Friday by Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora, Tammam Salam and (former and designated) Saad Hariri, following a meeting held by the Quartet via video link.
The statement said that “the popular protests are understood and known by the people of the city who are suffering pain due to the difficult and painful economic and living situation, which was aggravated by the closure and quarantine measures to face the spread of the Corona pandemic, which the state was supposed to compensate the needy and poorest families in a city. Speaking on the air. ”
He added: “It has become clear to everyone that the spontaneous youth and popular movements that took place in the streets of the city came from those who stalked those who hated and hired people who attack the city and its honorable people, exploiting the wrath of the people and difficult living conditions to ignite discord and rhythm among the city’s patient people, as well as between them and state institutions and agencies. He failed and did not take the initiative to confront those saboteurs who had invaded the ranks of the protesters from the city, protesting the deterioration of living conditions. ”
The statement considered that “the malicious hands that stoked and turned a blind eye to the riots and the orchestrated assaults, made themselves known to everyone near and far and were not hidden by anyone, especially when those saboteurs attacked and set fire to officials and municipalities institutions versus army units. “
He continued: “To this is added all those who prevented the firefighting agencies and interrupted the relief and rescue work in a suspicious and criminal way, to keep the fires burning in the historic building of the municipality of Tripoli, noting that the majority of those who committed these reprehensible acts are known and supervised by the competent intelligence and security services, by name and identity. “
Former heads of government renewed their refusal to marginalize Tripoli, which “has not been and will not be a focus for the owners of criminal and corrupt projects, who are trying to strip the city of its national splendor, distort its history, put terrorism and chaos , and destabilize its pillars represented by its cultural, social and union forces, as well as Tripoli has earned the title of ‘Bride of the Revolution’. In the north it will not be a firing point for snipers with treacherous policies. ”
They denounced and condemned “all acts of aggression to which the military institutions and organizations in the city were subjected,” and called on the official and military organizations to persecute all those who repeatedly attacked the government palace and set the building on fire. of the municipality, and “The attempt to burn the offices of the Sharia courts in the city to burn the history of the city by burning it.” Records and the attempt to break into the University of Determination “.
They demanded “to arrest all criminals and bring them to justice to impose the severest penalties”, emphasizing the need to speed up the provision of aid to the poorest families, on the basis announced by the government, and which has not yet started its implementation in the city of Tripoli, which is the most needy and the poorest in all of Lebanon. ”
The meeting renewed its adherence to the provisions of the constitution and the protection of coexistence, asking the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, to facilitate the formation of the salvation government of independent, competent and nonpartisan specialists, in a way that qualifies them for be members of a harmonious and supportive government that responds to the challenges facing the country, and in a way that helps restore the confidence of Lebanese and Arab and international societies in the Lebanese state.
The position of the heads of government comes as a comment on the protests and popular confrontations that took place in the city of Tripoli in recent days, interspersed with clashes with the security forces, in an anger that culminated on Thursday night , with burning. of the municipality building.
