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Lebanon's top Christian clerics blast politicians as hunger, hardship bite
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS JULY 5, 2020 / 12:21 PM / UPDATED 13 HOURS AGO
Lebanon's top Christian clerics blast politicians as hunger, hardship bite
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon’s Christian authorities slammed politicians on Sunday for failing to remedy an economic meltdown that has left many poor, piling pressure on the country’s leaders as it spirals deeper into crisis.
In a sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, the top Christian cleric, accused politicians of thinking only of their own vested interests and urged the president to take action.
“It appears politicians want to hide their responsibility in emptying the treasury and not enact any reforms,” he said.
Hopes of salvation through an IMF deal have retreated, with the government unwilling or unable to enact reforms, hamstrung by the conflicting agendas of sectarian leaders who don’t want to yield power or privileges.
The crisis, which has decimated the local currency and raised fears of mass hunger, is seen as the biggest threat to Lebanon’s stability since its 1975-1990 civil war.
-snip-
Lebanon's top Christian clerics blast politicians as hunger, hardship bite
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon’s Christian authorities slammed politicians on Sunday for failing to remedy an economic meltdown that has left many poor, piling pressure on the country’s leaders as it spirals deeper into crisis.
In a sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, the top Christian cleric, accused politicians of thinking only of their own vested interests and urged the president to take action.
“It appears politicians want to hide their responsibility in emptying the treasury and not enact any reforms,” he said.
Hopes of salvation through an IMF deal have retreated, with the government unwilling or unable to enact reforms, hamstrung by the conflicting agendas of sectarian leaders who don’t want to yield power or privileges.
The crisis, which has decimated the local currency and raised fears of mass hunger, is seen as the biggest threat to Lebanon’s stability since its 1975-1990 civil war.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-crisis-cleric/lebanons-top-christian-clerics-blast-politicians-as-hunger-hardship-bite-idUSKBN2460NK