Lebanese flock to presidential palace in rally to support Aoun

A huge rally of support for Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun swarmed the country’s presidential palace on Sunday, a rebuke to broader protests that have demanded the wholesale ouster of the country’s elite and which have toppled the government.

Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned on Tuesday following unprecedented nationwide protests, deepening a political crisis and complicating efforts to enact badly needed economic reforms.

A huge convoy of cars, some waving Aoun’s orange Free Patriotic Movement party flags and his portrait snaked across the main highway on Sunday while a sea of protesters marched to Baabda palace.

Though no immediate estimate of the rally’s size was available, many thousands spread across a roadway leading to the palace. It was the biggest counter-protest to the wave of demonstrations that have gripped Lebanon since Oct. 17 and which have included Aoun’s removal among a set of sweeping demands.

In a televised speech, Aoun, who must now hold consultations with members of parliament to designate a new premier, said a three-point plan had been drawn up around tackling corruption, restoring the economy, and building a civil state.

“These three points are not easily achieved, we need your efforts, and we need a square filled both by you and the (anti-government) protesters to defend your rights.

“Many are trying to be obstructive. This is why we need to make a huge effort,” said Aoun.

He described corruption, a primary protestor grievance, as having become “nested” in the state.

Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law and an object of ridicule by anti-government protesters, addressed supporters at the rally, pledging to root out corruption and hold all who had taken state funds accountable.

A semblance of normality returned to Lebanon this week, with roads re-opening and banks opening to customers on Friday after being shut for two weeks, though restrictions were reported on foreign currency withdrawals and transfers abroad.

The head of the country’s banking association said the banks did not see “any extraordinary movement” of money on Friday or Saturday. Analysts and bankers have feared a rush on deposits.

The central bank governor said the re-opening did not cause “any disturbance at any bank” and reiterated a pledge that “no formal capital controls are considered”.

Lebanon’s import-dependent economy has been hit by years of regional turmoil and a slowdown in capital flows that has put its foreign currency reserves under pressure.

Aoun has signaled support for a more technocratic government, saying in a speech after Hariri’s resignation that ministers should be chosen “according to their competencies and expertise, not political loyalties.”

Hariri’s government has continued in a caretaker capacity until a new one is formed.