JAKARTA - Lebanese President Michel Aoun refused to resign and left the presidential office in connection with the deadly explosion in Beirut. This was conveyed following the many pressure he had to resign.
His comments come after the Lebanese government last week decided to step down after an explosion that killed more than 170 people and injured more than 6,000.
"That is impossible, because this will create a power vacuum. The government resigns. Imagine that I will resign. Who will ensure the continuity of power?" said Aoun in an interview.
According to him, if he resigns, there must be an immediate re-election. That is not possible in a country situation like this.
"The current situation in the country does not allow such elections to be held," he said.
Aoun said it would take a long time to investigate this case. "It will not be completed as quickly as desired," he said.
The debris at the Beirut port began to appear cleared up on 14 August.
Launching CNN, Monday 17 August, Aoun added that he had asked the judicial board to supervise the investigation and asked an "independent judge" to investigate.
The massive explosion that hit the Lebanese capital on August 4 damaged much of the city. The explosion also sparked violent protests by the authorities.
Prime Minister (PM) of Lebanon Hassan Diab said the explosion was a disaster that could not be measured. In a speech at the same time announcing his resignation and his government.
In his speech, Diab targeted the ruling political class in Lebanon. Diab says that the political elite is "an apparatus of corruption bigger than the state."
He also said that his government chose to stand with the people, by resigning.
While praising that members of his cabinet had "fought bravely and with dignity," he added: "Between us and change is a big, strong barrier."
Before the explosion, Lebanon had been struggling economically for several months. The Lebanese currency has lost about 70% of its value since October 2019 and the World Bank predicts that half of Lebanon's population will be poor by 2020.
Last weekend, the international community pledged about $ 300 million in aid to Lebanon during a donor conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The donor conference was also attended by US President Donald Trump and other heads of state.
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