Lebanon’s prime minister resigns after weeks of protests

Saad al-Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister on Tuesday said he is stepping down in response to almost two weeks of nationwide protests calling for his resignation.

Mr Hariri said he had “reached a dead end” and it had become necessary to deliver “a big shock to confront the crisis.”

Mr Hariri headed a fractious power-sharing government reflecting Lebanon’s sectarian political system, which has been characterised by decision-making that has been paralysed by internal disputes.

The protests were triggered by government plans to impose a tax on WhatsApp calls but quickly morphed into a revolt demanding broader political change.

“To all those who take part in political life, I say our responsibility now is to protect Lebanon and prevent any conflagration from reaching it,” he said. “Our responsibility is to revive the economy.”

Mr Hariri’s resignation catapults the heavily-indebted country deeper into uncertainty and could mean there would be more drift until there is a government in place capable of addressing the nation’s economic crisis.