Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held officials hindering the formation of a new government responsible for days of unrest that erupted between protesters and security forces in Beirut. During his Sunday sermon, he called on the state against undermining the popular revolt, rejecting the political powers’ policy of dividing shares in cabinet and raising the number of ministerial portfolios. An emergency cabinet must be formed instead to rescue the country and people, he demanded. Moreover, Rahi denounced the recent violence between protesters and security forces, saying such acts “do not represent Lebanese values.” Turning to the army and Internal Security Forces, he urged them to exert more efforts to maintain security and avoid clashing with the people. Those obstructing the formation of the government are responsible for the unrest that took place in Beirut last week, he declared. To the international community, Rahi appealed to it to seriously address the Lebanese crisis given the country’s constructive role in the Middle East. As politicians continued to bicker, protesters, who have been demanding the formation of a government of technocrats, clashed with security forces in downtown Beirut Sunday for a third consecutive day. The protests say the political elite has ignored their calls for forming an independent government to tackle the deepening crisis. Sunday’s confrontation broke out near parliament a day after more than 370 people were wounded, the biggest casualty toll since the protests began in October. Unrest in the capital this week has deepened the multi-faceted crisis sweeping Lebanon as it grapples with financial strains that have sunk the currency, pushed up prices and driven banks to impose capital controls. Demonstrators have been rallying against those who have held power since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. They blame politicians for widespread corruption and mismanagement in a country that has accumulated one of the largest debt ratios in the world.