Protest-hit Lebanon postpones talks to pick new PM

Lebanon’s president yesterday postponed consultations to select a new prime minister after weeks of largely peaceful street protests descended into violence, leaving dozens wounded in clashes with security forces.

The government stepped down on October 29 in the face of unprecedented nationwide demonstrations demanding the complete overhaul of a political class deemed inept and corrupt.

Yesterday the presidency announced that President Michel Aoun had “responded to the wishes of (outgoing) prime minister Saad Hariri to postpone parliamentary consultations until Thursday December 19”.

It is not the first time the talks have been delayed. Parliamentary consultations had been scheduled for December 9 before being pushed back a week.

The names of various potential candidates to replace Hariri have been circulated in recent weeks but bitterly divided political parties have failed to agree on a new premier.

Cabinet formation can drag on for months in the multi-confessional country, with Hariri taking almost nine months to reach an agreement with all political sides for the last one.