BREAKING: Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab says he is stepping down in the wake of last week's deadly explosion
In a brief televised speech, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Monday that he is taking "a step back" so he can stand with the people "and fight the battle for change alongside them."
The moment typified Lebanon's political dilemma. Since October, there have been mass demonstrations demanding the departure of the entire sectarian-based leadership over entrenched corruption, incompetence and mismanagement. His government, which was supported by Hezbollah and its allies and seen as one-sided, was basically doomed from the start, tasked with meeting demands for reform but made up of all the factions that reformers want out. His government was basically doomed from the start, tasked with meeting demands for reform but made up of all the factions that reformers want out.
The last decision taken by Diab's government before its resignation was to refer the case of the explosion to the Supreme Judicial Council, which handles crimes infringing on Lebanon's national security as well as political and state security crimes. The Supreme Judicial Council is Lebanon's top judicial body.
"I wrote a report in the morning the explosion happened in the evening," Najjar said. Asked why he only learned of it the day before, Najjar said, "I don't know. Truly I don't know."
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