beirut lebanons prime minister stepped down from his job on monday in the wake of the disastrous beirut port explosion that triggered public fury saying he has come to the conclusion that corruption in lebanon is bigger than the statein a brief televised speech after three of his ministers resigned prime minister hassan diab said that he is taking a step back so he can stand with the people and fight the battle for change alongside themi declare today the resignation of this government may god protect lebanon he said repeating the last phrase three timesthe move risks opening the way to draggedout negotiations over a new cabinet amid urgent calls for reformit follows a weekend of antigovernment protests in the wake of the august 4 explosion in beiruts port that decimated the facility and caused widespread destruction killing at least 160 people and injured about 6000 othersthe moment typified lebanons political dilemma since october there have been mass demonstrations demanding the departure of the entire sectarianbased leadership over entrenched corruption incompetence and mismanagementbut the ruling oligarchy has held onto power for so long since the end of the civil war in 1990 that it is difficult to find a credible political figure not tainted by connections to themdiab blamed corrupt politicians who preceded him for the earthquake that has hit lebanonthey political class should have been ashamed of themselves because their corruption is what has led to this disaster that had been hidden for seven years he addedi have discovered that corruption is bigger than the state and that the state is paralyzed by this ruling clique and cannot confront if or get rid of it diab who was a university professor at the american university of beirut before he took the jobalthough diabs resignation had appeared inevitable after the catastrophe he seemed unwilling to leave and only two days ago made a televised speech in which he offered to stay on for two months to allow for various factions to agree on a roadmap for reforms but the pressure from within his own cabinet proved to be too muchdiabs government was formed after his predecessor saad hariri stepped down in october in response to the demonstrations it took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on diabhis government which was supported by hezbollah and its allies and seen as onesided was basically doomed from the start tasked with meeting demands for reform but made up of all the factions that reformers want out now the process must start again with diabs government in a caretaker role as the same factions debate a new onei hope that the caretaking period will not be long because the country cannot take that lets hope a new government will be formed quickly public works minister michel najjar told reportersan effective government is the least we need to get out of this crisis the weekend protests saw clashes with security forces firing tear gas at protestersthe explosion is