No one is covered by the Beirut port explosion

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced on Wednesday that his goal in forming the government is to halt the economic collapse and rebuild Beirut, stressing that no one is covered in the case of the capital’s port explosion.

After his meeting with the Maronite patriarch, Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rai in Bkerke, north of Beirut, Hariri said: “I told the patriarch that the goal is not to form a government as it was, or to be its head, but stop the economic collapse and rebuild Beirut. “

A large explosion took place in the port of Beirut on August 4, killing some 200 people and more than 6,000 injured, in addition to massive damage to residential buildings and commercial establishments.

The outbreak and repercussions of the “Corona” pandemic aggravated the situation in a country that is suffering mainly from the greatest economic crisis in its modern history, and from severe political polarization, in a scenario in which the interests of regional countries collide and Westerners.

Hariri added that “this objective can only be achieved through the implementation of agreed administrative and financial reforms to restore the flow of funds to Lebanon, with external assistance from donor countries and the World Bank.”

Hariri presented to the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, last week, a government formation of 18 ministers with specialization, regardless of party affiliation.

However, Aoun announced on Tuesday his objection to Hariri’s “uniqueness” in “appointing ministers, especially Christians, without agreeing with the presidency.”

On the issue of the Beirut port explosion, Hariri said: “I assured the Patriarch of our insistence on the right of all Lebanese, and first of all, the right of the victims and their families to know the truth and full responsibilities. ”. He stressed that “there is no coverage or coverage for any of those involved.

On Thursday, the Lebanese judiciary accused the Prime Minister of the interim government, Hassan Diab, and three former ministers, of “negligence and causing the death of innocent people” in the case of the explosion.

However, Lebanese personalities, including Hariri and the Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abd al-Latif Derian, refused to press this accusation against Diab as a political attack on the prime minister’s office and a violation of the constitution and the law to judge presidents and ministers.

According to a preliminary official estimate, the explosion occurred in ward 12, which authorities said contained some 2,750 tonnes of high-explosive “ammonium nitrate”, which had been confiscated and stored since 2014.

Aoun had assigned Hariri, on October 22, to form a government, following the apology of his predecessor, Mustafa Adib, for the failure of his mission to form a government to succeed the government of Diab, who resigned 6 days after The explosion.