Opposition parties, Kulluna Irada demand Salameh's resignation and call on Parliament to assume responsibility for the governance vacancy

Opposition groups saw in a joint statement that issuing an international arrest warrant against the Governor of Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, is a turning point in holding the ruling political and financial class accountable.

The statement was co-signed by the Kataeb Party, Kulluna Irada, National Bloc, Taqaddom, South Change Movement, Likaa Shamal 3, Intafed (Tripoli), Akkar Tantafed, Khat Ahmar, Aamiyet 17 Tishreen.

According to the statement, this "has become accustomed to general amnesty and impunity despite its many crimes against the Lebanese people, including killings, assassinations, explosions, and theft of public money."

They stressed that the institutional collapse that Lebanon has reached, "for which this system bears primary responsibility," is a result of its systematic destruction of institutions and the rule of law.

The statement stressed that the charges against Governor Riad Salameh of embezzlement, money laundering, and forging necessitate that he not remain in office. 

"The arrest warrant constitutes a very dangerous historical precedent for Lebanon's financial reputation and evidence of the state's dissolution due to the absence of accountability and oversight under the rule of the mafia and militia," said the statement.

"It also puts the Lebanese judiciary before its responsibilities in light of the spread of corruption at various levels [...] and exposes its failure to hold accountable those who are today accused of appropriating public money," it added.

The ten opposition groups pointed out that the governor must resign immediately, in compliance with the principle of responsibility and the provisions of the Monetary and Credit Law, "which hold the prosecuted governor accountable for his failure to carry out his duties and for a fatal error in the conduct of business." 

According to them, it is also necessary to limit the catastrophic impact of such an event on Lebanon's financial reputation and the banking sector, provided that the vacancies in the governance of the Banque du Liban are managed within the mechanisms approved in the same law.

"The Parliament bears responsibility for the vacancy in the governance of the Banque du Liban due to its inability to elect a president, which constitutes an entry point for re-establishing an executive authority with full powers that can appoint a governor for the Central Bank, who adheres to the laws in force and does not circumvent them, based on his interests and the interests of the political forces," said the statement.

The statement called that the new governor must adhere to many points, including Forensic auditing of the accounts of  Banque du Liban for the last 30 years, cooperating with the Lebanese and international judiciary regarding corruption cases, and fighting money laundering.

In addition, they urged to cooperate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and not obstruct reforms, the independence from political and financial interests, recognizing financial sector losses as an entry point for restructuring the banking sector and unifying the exchange rate.

The joint statement also highlighted the reconstruction of Banque du Liban to ensure the reactivation of its supervisory role over banks and financial institutions, good management of financial and monetary policies, and the dedication to transparency, especially concerning information, accounts, data, and financial statements.