President Michel Aoun announced Sunday in a farewell speech in Baabda that he has signed a decree “accepting the resignation” of the caretaker cabinet, as he lashed out at the judiciary and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.
”The judiciary is not performing its role and the culprits are still outside courts, perhaps because they are cronies of those in charge,” Aoun said, addressing a crowd of supporters from Baabda palace.
“They paralyzed the probe into the port blast because the Higher Judicial Council chief does not want the appointments that would lead us to the truth,” he added.
He stressed that the country needs reform to get rid of the influential officials who paralyzed the judiciary and halted investigations into the port blast.
Noting that the state “can only be built upon two pillars: security and the judiciary,” the president decried that the establishment that has been ruling for 32 years is protecting the central bank governor.
“The central bank governor carried out financial crimes and a judicial and criminal investigation was carried out but it did not reach the court,” Aoun charged.
Addressing supporters, he said: “Today a phase ends and another begins that requires struggle and a lot of work so that we can exit our crises.”
A few minutes later, the president left the Baabda Palace for his residence in Rabieh. His term ended on Monday at midnight.
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