Beirut (AsiaNews) - The ‘You Stink’ campaign announced on Friday that it will hold a demonstration on Saturday afternoon to demand the resignation of Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq over his failure to resolve the capital’s trash disposal crisis (pictured).
The latter began when when the Naameh landfill south of Beirut was closed on 17 July, but has turned very political, as protesters began calling for parliamentary elections after the current parliament “illegally” extended its term on two separate occasions, and failed to elect a new president.
Protesters are especially angry that their action was met with police violence – tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse thousands of people – leaving scores of people injured and one dead.
Interior Minister Mashouq acknowledged the violence, saying that security forces had “used excessive force” in last week's protests.
The Maronite Church too has expressed concerns over the crisis. The Maronite bishop of Beirut, Mgr Boulos Matar, told the al-Joumhouria newspaper that Monday’s Christian-Muslim summit is set to focus on two main issues, namely the presidential election and the demands of the anti-government protestors.
In order to address the crisis, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam contacted on Friday his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, to request Turkey’s assistance in helping Lebanon solve its waste disposal crisis, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Turkish ministerial sources said that Davutoglu informed Salam of his country's readiness to help Lebanon end its crisis. “Turkey has the means to end the problem,” he reportedly told the latter.