Lebanon’s Aoun: ‘Forensic audit of central bank is a national issue’

Lebanese President Michel Aoun confirmed on Wednesday that the forensic audit of the Central Bank of Lebanon is a national issue and “the best way to overcome the crisis in the country.”

During a meeting at Baabda Palace on Wednesday with the Minister of Justice of the caretaker government Marie-Claude Najm, Aoun called on the media to grasp the facts and respond positively to the successive appeals he made. The last request by Aoun was in a speech he delivered on Lebanese Independence Day to handle the delicate issue with responsibility for the sake of national interest.

Aoun added that the message he delivered to parliament on Tuesday through Speaker Nabih Berri on the forensic audit of the Central Bank of Lebanon: “Is completely unrelated to political disputes and conflicts, whether formal or deep-rooted ones.”

The president stressed that the aim of the message is: “To deal with a major national tragedy. Without resolving the forensic audit issue, it will be impossible to reach an agreement, either with the countries willing to help Lebanon, or with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and financial institutions.”

Source: US undermining formation of Lebanon government

Families of the victims of the port explosion protest

Dozens of families of victims of the Port of Beirut explosion participated on Wednesday in a march near parliament, to protest against the delay of investigations into the causes of the blast.

The protesters held pictures of their loved ones who passed away in the explosion and banners with slogans denouncing the delay of the investigation. They also insisted on “unpoliticising” the case.

The protestors blamed the “quota system” for the explosion, confirming they are confident that the Lebanese judiciary will achieve justice for the victims by issuing a fair and transparent ruling, reported the Lebanese National News Agency.

The victims’ families also warned that they will resort to parties “outside the homeland” to achieve justice for their deceased loved ones if the Lebanese judiciary fails to issue fair judgments.

The march coincided with a session held at the House of Representatives to discuss electoral law.