“The political authority has killed its people economically, financially and in terms of living and development, and has thrown them into a state of loss and anger, despair and revolution, emigration and survival,” Rai said in his sermon. “The political community must acknowledge its failure to represent the citizens and gain their trust ... then step down for the sake of Lebanon, even if only temporarily,” Rai said. Rai called for the swift formation of a government based on the constitution, stressing that “Any other government is a waste of time.” Lebanon has been left without a fully functioning government since caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab submitted his Cabinet’s resignation on Aug. 10 over the port blast, which killed at least 200 people and injured thousands. Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, along with President Michel Aoun, is putting the final touches to a draft Cabinet lineup in hopes of announcing the government formation over the weekend or early next week. The new government would be tasked with implementing a string of reforms outlined in the French initiative, designed to steer the crises-hit country out of its catastrophic economic and financial crunch, the worst since the 1975-90 Civil War.