Report: ‘Shadow Government’ Could Be Formed to Speak for Protesters

Lebanon’s protesters are reportedly inclined to form a “revolutionary government” to manage the affairs of the popular movement if President Michel Aoun fails to initiate the binding parliamentary consultations by the end of this week, the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily reported on Tuesday.

Asked if the “revolutionary government” was meant to rebel against the constitutional authority, a senior source told the daily: “It is a shadow government, similar to the youth shadow government proposed by An-Nahar Editor-in-Chief Jebran Tueni before his assassination."

He said: “A decree was issued by the Cabinet in 2006 and two were formed between 2007 and 2008. It consisted of university students and people of competence.

"A revolutionary shadow government will not have a president, and will be the mouthpiece of the movement to negotiate with the authorities and all parties,” added the source who refused to be named.

Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned on October 29, nearly two weeks into the unprecedented nationwide protests demanding the wholesale removal of a ruling elite seen as corrupt and incompetent.

President Michel Aoun has said he will support the formation of a government including technocrats but he has not yet announced consultations over a new line-up.