Lebanon’s caretaker premier rejects decision to end fuel subsidies

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister today announced his rejection of the central bank governor’s decision to lift fuel subsidies, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, Hassan Diab said Riad Salameh’s decision “is against the law and does not take into account the reality of the deep living and social crisis.”

“The repercussions of the decision will be very serious,” Diab said, warning it would endanger the country’s future.

He also addressed a letter to Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni asking him to inform Salameh that his decision “violates the law which was issued by the House of Representatives … and contradicts the government’s policy of rationalizing support.”

Diab called for an emergency ministerial meeting today to discuss the central bank governor’s decision.

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At a Thursday press conference, MP Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, slammed the sudden decision to completely lift subsidies on fuel as “fatalistic,” saying it is “nothing less than detonating the country.”

He warned of those seeking “to undermine the positive atmosphere between the president of the republic (Michel Aoun) and the prime minister-designate (Naguib Mikati),” which he said is supposed to be close in order to overcome “all obstacles.”

On June 26, Mikati received support from 72 out of 128 parliamentarians, including the backing of the Future Current movement headed by Saad Hariri and support from Hezbollah parliamentarians to form and head a long-awaited government.