Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri has announced he would not seek the top post again, on the eve of twice-delayed talks to name a new prime minister that were expected to lead to his selection. Hariri’s announcement on Wednesday came 50 days after he resigned the post amid massive protests against the ruling elite that in recent days have escalated into clashes of an increasingly sectarian shade. Hariri said he would still participate in the process of selecting a new prime minister on Thursday, which is done through a series of meetings between MPs and President Michel Aoun, so that there were no further delays in the process.
It remains unclear who will be named prime minister, with Hariri’s Future Movement parliamentary bloc set to hold a meeting Thursday morning. Any prime minister must be approved by the majority of the 128-member legislature.
Religious tensions riseHariri’s announcement comes as tensions between protesters, security forces and supporters of some establishment parties have started to rise, more than 60 days after the uprising began. Protesters have taken to the streets to call for the removal of the entire ruling class, who they accuse of causing an economic and financial crisis in the country. Their main demands, which include the formation of an independent government of specialists to lead the country out of the crisis, as well as early elections, have not been met.
Beirut awoke on Wednesday to a large cement wall blocking roads that have been a focal point of clashes between security forces and supporters of the Shia Hezbollah and Amal Movement parties in recent nights.
Men chanting “Shia, Shia” repeatedly pelted riot police with stones and fireworks and burned and vandalised cars before being pushed back by tear gas the previous night.
The parties have a large following in the Khandak neighbourhood across the road from downtown Beirut, part of which has been transformed into a large protest camp.
The wall has sealed off three main entrances to Beirut’s Riad al-Solh Square, the birthplace of the protest movement S:aljazeera.com
Saturday, April 25, 2026
