Alwaght- Lebanese Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah says the movement is “opposed” to the resignation of the government as the protests continue in the country.
He vowed not to allow anyone to “burn” Lebanon and cause chaos in the country.
Nasrallah offered support to the recent waves of protest against the critical economic conditions, the plan to raise taxes, and corruption.
Nasrallah explained that the problems in the country were “systematic” and would not be fixed by a change of government, given that the new government would most probably include the same combination of already existing political factions, Iran’s Press TV has reported from Lebanon.
He said that the calls for the resignation of the government, led by Saad Hariri, come by those seeking to avoid their responsibilities instead of focusing to resolve the critical economic situation the country is immersed in.
The Hezbollah chief also lauded the demonstrations for being “spontaneous” and independent from any foreign or domestic political influence, warning participants to beware of the rallies being hijacked by political groups.
He expressed his movement’s readiness to act for the good of the country and the people, saying: “We will “be everywhere” and we will “change the balance” in the country.”
How did everything begin?
The protests started on Thursday when the government said it planned to raise the taxes and impose a tax on WhatsApp instant messaging service in the country. The costs of communication are relatively high in the Mediterranean Arab country. The government withdrew its taxes bid shortly after pressure. But it seemed to be too late.
Protestors took to the streets of the capital and elsewhere to go beyond protesting for tax increases. They also protested the blatant corruption in the government and the deteriorating economic status characterized by a lack of government finances for projects and public services. On Wednesday, the country was hit by wildfires that affected large parts of the forests surrounding the capital. The wildfire disclosed how the government’s shortage of finances was serious. Reports said that firefighting aircraft bought a couple of years ago were out of service now because of the costs of maintenance the government could not afford.
Protests under risk of foreign hijack?
The protests in the country were praised by Nasrallah as being spontaneous but he at the same time warned of foreign plans to hijack them. The country has always been a scene to foreign intervention.
The US may find a chance in these demonstrations to seek change of the government where now Hezbollah has a big presence and influence. The Israelis will also push to the resignation of the government as this will leave Lebanon in a state of political limbo benefiting Tel Aviv. Saudi Arabia also will benefit from such a resignation hoping to deal a blow to Hezbollah, an ally of Riyadh’s rival Tehran.
