Diab from Dimane: I Will Not Step Down, Neutrality Needs Deep Discussion

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said after talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi that he does not plan to step down from office because it would leave the country in limbo until a new government is formed.

“I will not resign from office because there is no easy alternative and because it is a crime to put the country on hold while the government shifts to a caretaker capacity,” he told reporters after meeting Rahi.

Diab arrived at Dimane on board a military helicopter accompanied by Minister of Environment and Administrative Development Damianos Khattar, said the National News Agency.

The visit comes after the Patriarch’s calls to neutralize Lebanon from regional conflicts which raised controversy among political forces.

“Neutrality is a perfectly political issue and needs deep discussions between all political components,” said Diab.

The two men discussed the social and economic situation in light of a worsening economic and monetary crisis pushing many Lebanese into poverty.

On accusations that Diab’s government is controlled by Hizbullah, he said: “The claims that this is Hizbullah’s government is a "broken record.”