Protesters in Lebanon took to the streets on Thursday night, shouting "Thief", as local media reports said business tycoon and former Tripoli Member of Parliament Mohammad Safadi will be nominated as the country's next prime minister.
After two weeks of closed-door consultations following the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri on October 29, the decision was reached at a meeting on Thursday evening between Hariri and representatives of the major Shia parties, Hezbollah and Amal.
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Safadi has close ties with the Saudi royal family, having made much of his money in the kingdom. Emigrating to Saudi Arabia from Lebanon in 1975, he built a business empire constructing residential compounds across the country, and once worked as a manager for Saudi Air Force chief Prince Turki bin Nasser.
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The nomination of Safadi, a Saudi-aligned Sunni billionaire, to replace Hariri, another Saudi-aligned Sunni billionaire, has struck many as tone-deaf in the backdrop of protests against the Lebanese elites.
"Who in their right mind considered Safadi to be a good option for prime minister in the middle of an anti-elitist revolution?" asked medical student Ramez Dagher on Twitter. "Are they deaf or are they stupid?"
The choice is being seen as so tone-deaf it has prompted rumours of a double bluff from the government to lower the protesters' expectations: by floating an unacceptable initial nomination, the next candidate might seem more acceptable by comparison.
Demonstrators demanding a complete government overhaul were attacked by pro-Hezbollah gangs on Sunday.
Protesters remained defiant on Monday after supporters of main Shia groups Hezbollah and Amal attacked demonstrators overnight, sparking a UN call to keep protests peaceful.
Demonstrators demanding a complete government overhaul have been mobilised since protests began on October 17, but a bitterly divided political class has yet to find a way forward.
Lebanon has faced five weeks of anti-government protests fuelled by anger at corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades.
Frustrated by the stalemate protesters called for roadblocks and a general strike on Monday, but an attack by supporters of allied parties Hezbollah and Amal on Sunday night weakened the turnout.
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