Head of the Lebanese Kateb Party, Sami Gemayel, met on Tuesday with the British embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Martin Longden, with talks touching on the developments in Lebanon and in the region, the National News Agency reported.

Gemayel explained to Longden “the Kateb’s vision for the next stage,” and underscored “the need to hold the parliamentary elections on time, without any delay,” according to a statement issued by the party’s media office.

On August 8, 2020, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said he would request early parliamentary elections to defuse an escalating political crisis following the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut.

“We cannot get out of this crisis without early parliamentary elections,” he said, reading a statement. He added he was not to blame for the country’s deep economic and political woes.

On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion, caused by improperly stored ammonium nitrate, occurred at the Port of Beirut, killing at least 200 people, injuring more than 6,000 and rendering 300,000 others homeless.

Large sections of the port and its infrastructure were destroyed, including most of Beirut’s grain reserves, and billions of dollars in damages were inflicted across the city.