Lebanese lira banknotes. (João Sousa/L'Orient Today/File photo)
"Since Wednesday afternoon, my phone hasn't stopped ringing. I have twice as many people calling me to exchange dollars for Lebanese pounds than the day before," says Elie*, an employee at a currency exchange office. "This strong influx continues even now," he adds on Thursday, alongside the parliamentary session for the election of a new Lebanese president.Like him, many currency exchange offices experienced a rush of individuals on Wednesday, people betting that the national currency would appreciate following the election of a new president after more than two years of vacancy, as shown by images taken in Tripoli (North Lebanon) and the southern suburbs of Beirut, circulating on social networks."Ridiculous rumors"These images evoke the heart of the monetary crisis, when the pound was plummeting day by...
"Since Wednesday afternoon, my phone hasn't stopped ringing. I have twice as many people calling me to exchange dollars for Lebanese pounds than the day before," says Elie*, an employee at a currency exchange office. "This strong influx continues even now," he adds on Thursday, alongside the parliamentary session for the election of a new Lebanese president.Like him, many currency exchange offices experienced a rush of individuals on Wednesday, people betting that the national currency would appreciate following the election of a new president after more than two years of vacancy, as shown by images taken in Tripoli (North Lebanon) and the southern suburbs of Beirut, circulating on social networks."Ridiculous rumors"These images evoke the heart of the monetary crisis, when the pound was plummeting day...