Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Sunday clarified that a letter he sent to caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil was aimed at “unifying” capital controls in the country rather than imposing new restrictions.

Salameh explained that his request seeks to “regulate” the controls that the Lebanese banks have imposed on depositors.

The debate that has erupted between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Hassan Diab has returned the government formation negotiations to square one, a media report said.

“President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri have called for a techno-political government, a suggestion that has not been opposed by Hizbullah,” Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported.

A lawyer for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who fled to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan, said his client was questioned an average of seven hours a day without a lawyer present.

Takashi Takano said on his blog post the questioning continued through weekends, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Hundreds protested across Lebanon on Saturday to denounce a crippling economic crisis and the political deadlock that has left the country without a government for over two months.

Chanting anti-government slogans in the capital Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli and the southern city of Nabatieh, they also denounced a class of political leaders they deem incompetent and corrupt.

President Michel Aoun extended his condolences on Saturday over the passing of Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said.

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret Saturday over the UN announcement that Lebanon is among the countries losing their voting privileges in the 193-member General Assembly for being behind in paying their dues.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is scheduled to set a legislative session next week for discussing the 2020 state budget as soon as caretaker PM Saad Hariri returns from a trip abroad, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

The United Nations says seven countries are so far behind in paying their dues that they are losing their voting privileges in the 193-member General Assembly, including Venezuela and Lebanon.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday that three other countries — Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia — are also in arrears by the assembly decided in October that they can retain their vote until September.

Scuffles erupted in downtown Beirut on Friday between protesters demanding the resignation of Beirut governor and mayor, and another group defending them amid heavy security deployment of anti-riot police.

President Michel Aoun discussed the financial situation with Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh amid unprecedented capital controls and a tightening economic and political crisis gripping the country since October.