Jumblat Calls for Talks between Protesters, Officials to Find Alternative Landfill
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has stressed that the resignation of Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq over his failure to resolve the snowballing waste crisis is “useless.”
Jumblat told An Nahar daily published Wednesday that the authorities should start cooperating with the young protesters calling for al-Mashnouq's resignation to find an alternative for the Naameh landfill.
The garbage crisis erupted when the landfill serving Beirut and Mount Lebanon was closed last month.
Waste began piling up on the streets, drawing angry protests organized by the “You Stink” movement.
On Tuesday around 30 of its members stormed the environment ministry, calling for al-Mashnouq's resignation.
The protests have attracted supporters from across Lebanon's political and religious divides, reflecting the growing frustration with an aging and corrupt political class that has failed to provide basic services, but for which there appears to be no clear alternative.
Jumblat called for “calm” measures to discuss their demands, among which are al-Mashnouq's resignation and holding parliamentary elections.
The country has been without a functioning parliament — the last elections were held in 2009 — and no president for the past 15 months.
02 September 2015, 09:42
39
Mr Jumb
You are the most despised and disrespected person in Lebanon. Everyone knows that are one of the roots of all the problems that Lebanon is suffering from.
02 September 2015, 10:43
94
similarly, the FPM were praising the demonstrators a week ago but yesterday they said the demonstrators were hired by foreign embassies.
02 September 2015, 10:58
58
It's not about a landfill. It's about you going home you hypocrite.
02 September 2015, 11:11
16
We have the right to have a modern state, electricity,water, clean streets, well organized, lit streets with no potholes are the very basics. Later comes the accountability of min aina lakom hada. Didn't know PM's or ministers could afford their private jets. The way I see it is I have shares in all of the side business's since the Lebanese citizen funded it.:)
02 September 2015, 19:50
13
There is but one alternative right now, even if certainly not the best, reopen the Neemeh landfill for at least one more year, but only if during this transitory time a real solution is found. Then people like you dear Jombie are the problem, you have choked this country to death. You've stolen our mountains, our beaches, our lands, our national coffers, our decision making, you've tried to steal our gas reserves, by the way Mr. Jumblat have you read Al Diyarr? Do you know who is behind the $300M imposed on that European company that came to drill the gas? And who is the second crook that asked for 10%? Why did this company now leave us and go to Egypt to drill there their massive reserves? The youth said people like you stink, you know why? That's because you are rotten to the bone-marrow, that's why. Now get the F.O of our faces, you and all the mafia M14 and M8.
02 September 2015, 20:46
13
Junblatt
SHUT UP AND GET OUT you and taymour you are finished
