MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Six ministers in the Lebanese Government walked out of a Lebanese Cabinet meeting dedicated to finding a solution to the country's worsening garbage crisis, local media reported Tuesday.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam convened an emergency meeting after a weekend of clashes between security forces and demonstrators protesting against corruption and poor public services, which left one person dead.
According to the Al-Manar news website, the politicians who exited the meeting belong to the Iran-backed Hezbollah party. Some of the party’s allies also left the talks.
Anger about the heaps of rubbish accumulating in Beirut's streets boiled over in the last few days, with thousands of activists protesting against the government's failure to deliver basic services. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse protesters. At least 15 demonstrators and 35 police officers were injured during the clashes, according to media reports.
Following the incident, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam threatened to step down if the next cabinet session did not yield results.
Thousands of tons of garbage have been left uncollected in Lebanon following the closure of the country’s main landfill in July.
