The Parliament passes the 2020 budget in an attempt to redress the economic and financial crisis, with only 70 out of the 128 members attending the session, and 49 votes in favor of passing the budget. The budget's aim is to lower the deficit of gross domestic product to 7%. Critics denounce the 2020 budget as a “useless piece of paper” with “rosy assumptions about the crisis-torn economy,” according to Aljazeera and is therefore not expected to convince Lebanese protesters to end their demonstrations against the ruling elite.