Day 61

Still ongoing...

Day 61

Still ongoing...

December 16, 2019

On day 61, parliamentary consultations postponed

  • For the second time, President Michel Aoun postponed the parliamentary consultations to name a prime minister until Thursday December 19.
  • Aoun's office announced that consultations were postponed in response to Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri's wishes to have additional discussions before forming a government.
  • Meanwhile, a statement from Hariri's office announced that he wished for the consultations to be postponed due to the lack of support from the major Christian blocs. Protesters organized a sit-in outside Beit el-Wasat to reject Hariri being renamed prime minister. They later marched to Riad el-Solh.

Violent crackdown in Beirut on Sunday for second consecutive night

  • Security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons at protesters gathered in Downtown Beirut Sunday night, leading to severe injuries.
  • Some protesters also threw fireworks and water bottles at parliamentary police.
  • Protesters and local media reported that Amal supporters and the parliamentary police, headed by Nabih Berri, allegedly burnt down tents in Martyrs' Square. The parliamentary police denied its involvement.

Huda Salloum files a lawsuit against Ghada Aoun

  • Head of the Traffic and Vehicles Management Authority Huda Salloum filed a lawsuit against Mount Lebanon Prosecutor judge Ghada Aoun for using her position to hinder the application of the law. MP Hady Hbeish, Salloum relative, is the lawyer representing Salloum's case.
  • This followed after Judge Aoun ordered the arrest of Salloum for bribery, wasting public funds, illegal enrichment, and breach of duties on December 11. MP Hadi Hbeish consequently stormed Aoun's office in the Baabda Judicial Palace under the pretext that Aoun's actions breached legal norms. Aoun then filed a lawsuit against Hbeish on December 12 under charges of defamation and threats.
  • Salloum remains in custody.

REPOSTED FROM @Megaphonenews

Published on that day

Aljazeera - الجزيرة

Lebanon delays nomination of new PM amid protests, divisions

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BBC News

Lebanon crisis: Dozens wounded in second night of clashes in Beirut

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The 961

Lebanon's Parliamentary Consultations Postponed Upon Rejection of Politico-Technocratic Gov't

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RT Online

تأجيل الاستشارات النيابية في لبنان للمرة الثانية

Dec 16, 2019

LBC Group

كيف علّق السنيورة بعد المطالبة بمغادرته قاعة الجامعة الأميركية؟

Dec 16, 2019

Asharq Al-Awsat - الشرق الأوسط

UN Urges Probe into 'Excessive Force' against Lebanon Protesters

Dec 16, 2019