Lebanon’s anti-government protesters blocked roads around some state institutions on Tuesday to pressure the ruling class to quickly form a new government.
Roads were cut off in some areas in the capital Beirut as well as the northern and eastern parts of the country.
Public schools, universities, and banks remained closed.
Dozens of university students blocked roads leading to the Justice Palace, which houses main courts in the country, the telecommunication, education, and electricity ministries.
One protester told a local television “we want the whole country to go on general strike, maybe our leaders will hear us and work on forming a new government comprised of technocrats.’’
Lebanon has been gripped since Oct. 17 with anti-government protests which are mainly targeting the ruling class and rampant state corruption.
The nationwide protests which saw thousands of people, especially university students, taking to the streets led Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign from his post on Oct. 29.
Since then, protesters have been trying to push President Michel Aoun to call for binding parliamentary consultations, which are constitutionally necessary to name a new premier.
Political wrangling between rival groups has so far delayed the formation of a new government thus plunging the country into further political and economic turmoil.
French envoy Christophe Varno, responsible for France’s MENA affairs, is expected to arrive in Lebanon on Tuesday to urge for the quick formation of a new government.
