Protests have swept the country for nearly two weeks, calling for an end to economic dysfunction and corruption.
Rabat – Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation on Tuesday, October 29.
Beirut’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Hariri arrived in the Baabda Palace to meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun where he submitted his government’s resignation.
The news agency added that Hariri left the presidential palace without “delivering any statement.”
The decision comes after nearly two weeks of widespread protests across Lebanon, calling for radical change in response to economic mismanagement and corruption.
Hariri announced that he had reached a “dead end” in a televised speech.
Quoted by Al Jazeera, the prime minister said that it “has become necessary for us to make a great shock to fix the crisis.”
The Saudi born 49-year old businessman served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2016 to 2019. He also held the position between 2009 and 2011.
Hariri entered politics following the murder of his father Rafiq Hariri in February 2005.
Prior to his tenure as prime minister, Hariri became head of his father’s construction company SAUDI Oger.
Observers criticized Hariri for his lack of experience in politics after he took office as prime minister. Al Jazeera stipulated in 2017 that despite criticism, Hariri “remains one of the most important figures in Lebanese politics and is very likely to continue playing a role after his resignation.”
Hariri was at the center of a recent scandal when an exclusive document obtained by the New York Times said that the former prime minister gifted a South African model £16 million when they were dating back in 2013. Hariri, however, was not in the office at the time3.
Despite the story dating back to 2013, Hariri faced strong criticism due to the economic woes and the political climate in Lebanon.
