On Tuesday, on the 13th day of continuous protests, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri submitted his resignation. He said that he attempted to "find a way out" by proposing a widely rejected economic reform plan before admitting he reached a "dead end."
His resignation, one of the many demands of protesters in Lebanon, was followed with ample celebrations on the streets — areas the Lebanese have successfully reclaimed these past 14 days.
The PM's resignation, under Article 69 of the Lebanese constitution, translates into the dismissal of his government. When the cabinet resigns or is considered resigned, parliament convenes until a new cabinet is formed and gains confidence. Till then, the resigned cabinet is required to remain in a state of caretaker and maintain the continuity of public affairs.
The country's president appoints the prime minister, who has traditionally been a Sunni Muslim, based on candidates submitted by members of parliament. The sectarian formation of Lebanon's government is one of the main things protesters were revolting against.
Sectarianism in Lebanon's political sphere has almost always been around, despite the Taif Accord following the country's 1975-1990 civil war. The aforementioned agreement shaped Lebanon's political system, implementing a power-sharing balance between Christians and Muslims in parliament.
People have been demanding this be put to an end, and the fact that Lebanese flags took the place of political ones during the recent protests is proof of that.
Now, the resignation of the PM is yet to be followed with other decisions, including the formation of a new cabinet. Till then, celebrations and humor are in check. Comic relief has always been at the forefront of Lebanese problems; this time, a photo of Hariri submitting his resignation to Lebanon's President Michel Aoun became the center of jokes.
Before all else, here's a parody of his speech:
And the general mood after the resignation hit the news:
The photo that was met with plenty of jokes:
Is this the dialogue that took place to get the perfect photo?
"Calm down, just act like you're giving it to me gently. Did the photo work? Send it on WhatsApp and then post it online and make sure to tag me!"
Or something like this?
"Aoun: Leave it
Hariri: I don't want to
Aoun: I'm telling you to let go of the resignation letter"
How "Lebanese people go about the bill"
The phrase "change is the only constant" doesn't apply in this case
"Before and after his resignation: Corrupt and a thief."
Predicting worst-case scenarios
"Sources from the Baabda Palace: Aoun forgot where he placed Saad Hariri's resignation letter after receiving it."
