The Lebanese pound hit a new low against the U.S. dollar on the black market Friday, as it crashed below 35,000, reaching 35,500.

For decades, the Lebanese pound was pegged to the dollar at 1,500.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Imran Riza of Pakistan as his Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator for Lebanon. Riza will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator, the UN said in a statement.

"Mr. Riza succeeds Najat Rochdi of Morocco, who recently completed her assignment and to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her accomplishments and wishes her continued success in her new appointment as Deputy Special Envoy for Syria," the statement said.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday lashed out at President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement over several issues, in a speech marking the 44th anniversary of the disappearance of Amal Movement founder Imam Moussa Sadr.

“We remind those trying to take Lebanon back to the pre-Taef era that parliament is the only side entrusted with interpreting the constitution,” Berri said, referring to the controversy over whether or not the caretaker cabinet can assume the president’s powers in the event of a presidential vacuum.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati met Wednesday in Baabda with President Michel Aoun over the issue of the new government.

Speaking to reporters as he entered the meeting, Mikati quipped that the government’s formation decrees cannot be issued today seeing as Speaker Nabih Berri “is in the South” to deliver a speech marking the 44th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Moussa al-Sadr.

The Joint Parliamentary Committees on Tuesday agreed on finding a capital control solution that would both preserve the rights of depositors and the “existence” of banks, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab said.

TV networks meanwhile said that the Committees will ask the government to send the economic recovery plan in order to discuss it along with the capital control law.

MP Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, has warned that “a country without a government cannot have stability,” cautioning that “the laxity we’re witnessing in the cabinet formation method has no place at the moment.”

“We don’t care who comes, who goes and who returns. Revive this government so it becomes a government with full powers,” Raad added.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has expressed optimism over the cabinet formation file, saying he is working for this goal, as he stressed that “what’s more important is the election of a president.”

Mikati added, in an interview with the al-Intichar news portal, that his relation with President Michel Aoun is “good.”

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has anew accused Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati of obstructing the government formation.

In a press interview published on Tuesday, Bassil said that Mikati wants to give the caretaker government presidential powers.

Activists and depositors gathered Tuesday in front of the Parliament to protest a capital control law ahead of a joint parliamentary session that will discuss it.

The so-called Change MPs refused in a press conference the capital control law. Other MPs said it was unacceptable as well, as they considered it to be unfair to the depositors.

President Michel Aoun said Monday that some parties do not want the sea border demarcation file to be finalized during his presidential term, while noting that the cabinet formation process has not been suspended.

In a meeting with a delegation from the Syndicate of the Workers of Audiovisual Media, Aoun added that Speaker Nabih Berri and PM-designate Najib Mikati can be asked about this matter, seeing as “they possess the necessary information about everything that is happening in this file.”