By Joseph Haboush, Al Arabya — The number two official in Lebanon’s parliament Monday called on the Lebanese army to take over all state institutions and to dissolve the country’s constitution. “All Lebanese agree on the [transparency] of the Lebanese army … and I call on it to take the place of the president, parliament speaker and prime minister and the entire political class,” Elie Ferzli said in an interview with a Lebanese website. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Ferzli said the army should then dissolve the constitution and run the country “for a number of years.” After this unspecified period, the politician said Lebanon would have drafted a new political order. Lebanon is currently experiencing an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. Nationwide anti-government protests rocked the nation in late 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic, and the Aug. 4 Beirut blast further exacerbated the problems at home.

Violence broke out on several occasions, especially when supporters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies in the Amal Movement attacked protesters. The Lebanese pound has reached an all-time low, and the World Bank estimates that close to 50 percent of the population will reach a level of poverty this year. On Monday, Ferzli warned that the situation could further worsen. “I am scared of the civil war, which I previously lived in,” he said, referring to the 1975-90 war that left over 100,000 people dead. “If it weren’t for the coronavirus and grants from [foreign] embassies, half of the Lebanese population would have emigrated,” he said.