Lebanon Public Information Minister Resigns Taking Responsibility for Massive Explosion Disaster: "Apologizes to the People"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Amid large-scale anti-government protests in Lebanon following the massive explosion disaster at Beirut Port, Manal Abdel-Samad, Lebanon's Minister of Information, resigned on the 9th (local time).

According to the Lebanese media Daily Star, Minister Abdel-Samad took responsibility for the catastrophic Beirut port explosion that occurred on the 4th and resigned. In a television broadcast that day, she said, "I apologize to the people of Lebanon," adding, "We have fallen short of the people's aspirations." She also paid tribute to the deceased, injured, and missing caused by the horrific explosion and emphasized that she was resigning to respond to the people's demand for change.

She is the first high-ranking official to take responsibility and resign since the incident occurred. Minister Abdel-Samad was appointed when the cabinet led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab took office in January.

The current Lebanese cabinet was formed after months of anti-government protests that began last October in response to tax plans on messenger programs such as WhatsApp. However, it failed to achieve results in economic recovery and suffered a severe blow with the explosion disaster.

When large-scale anti-government protests broke out in Beirut, Prime Minister Diab announced that he would propose holding early general elections to the government on the 10th.