Lebanon’s prime minister-designate pledges to form government despite “many obstacles” in place

Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate, Nayib Mikati, has promised Tuesday to work to try to assemble the new government despite the “many obstacles” it faces, before stressing that “no one will be able to sabotage” this work.

“We are determined to continue working in line with the obligations of the Constitution and national interests and no one will be able to sabotage or obstruct the constitutional path,” he said, before lamenting the “conditions aimed at creating a ‘de facto’ situation in the most dangerous phase” of the country’s history.

He has also expressed his hope that the Parliament will be able to reach an agreement on the appointment of a new Lebanese president within the deadlines set by the Magna Carta, before calling for the “cooperation, presence and full integration of the constitutional institutions,” Lebanese news portal Naharnet has reported.

Lebanon’s Parliament failed last week to elect the country’s new president because no candidate collected the necessary votes for them, so the session which was further postponed indefinitely and until there is a consensus on one of the names on the table.

Mikati was elected as prime minister-designate in June, after the May parliamentary elections, which ended in a setback for Hezbollah and its allies, who lost their absolute majority in the legislative body, while giving a boost to the leader of Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, and to numerous independent candidates who won seats.

The politician was appointed prime minister in September 2021 after thirteen months of political deadlock following the resignation of Hassan Diab in the wake of the explosions recorded on August 4, 2020 in the port of the capital Beirut, which left more than 200 dead and huge material damage.

The Lebanese Parliament last week approved the 2022 Budget, one of the main demands presented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the implementation of a rescue package for the country, amid international alarms about the worsening humanitarian crisis.