The office of Lebanon’s president said Friday that binding consultations with members of Parliament to designate a new prime minister will begin early next week.
Monday’s consultations will coincide with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Lebanon, a former French protectorate. He will offer French support after the devastating Aug 4 port explosion but also ensure that millions in international aid go to those who need it.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government resigned on Aug. 10, six days after nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded at Beirut’s port where they had been stored for six years. The blast, the most destructive single incident in Lebanon’s history, killed more than 180 people and left nearly 300,000 people homeless.
Lebanon is also mired in its worst economic and financial crisis in decades and Western nations have said they will not help the tiny country before serious reforms are carried out because corruption and mismanagement are widespread.