Gemayel: Ruling Authority, BDL, Hizbullah are Responsible for Crisis

Kataeb chief Sami Gemayel in televised remarks on Saturday blamed the “ruling authority, Banque du Liban and Hizbullah” party for the economic and financial crises in Lebanon.

“All the budgets approved between 2017 and 2020 have created a gap in the State’s budget,” Gemayel said, noting that the Parliament also had a role when it “unanimously approved these budgets and loans.”

“The funds of Lebanese depositors have been spent by the government on financing fake projects and budgets, that’s why Lebanese are unable to withdraw their money from banks,” he added.

“The ruling authority of “settlements” is primarily responsible, it has approved disastrous budgets and never froze hiring. The responsibility falls secondly on Hizbullah because of its enmity for the international community and the sanctions which discouraged investors from pumping money,” added Gemayel.

“The Central bank is the third to blame for the crisis because it continued to fund the State’s deficit,” added the Kataeb chief.

The banking sector must be “refortified and parties responsible for the crisis must be held accountable starting with the Central Bank Governor,” Riad Salameh “for all what happened in the last period,” he concluded.

Moreover, the Kataeb chief praised the efforts of security forces and healthcare workers in Lebanon to counter the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, which infected 672 individuals in Lebanon and killed 21.