Lebanese prime minister-designate calls for cooperation to ‘salvage the country’

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has affirmed that “opportunities are still available to salvage what can be saved in the country,” referring to the severe economic crisis Lebanon has been in the grip of for two years.

This marked Mikati’s first comment after he was named by President Michel Aoun to form a new government following elections.

Mikati said: “We have to be aware that we are facing either a complete collapse or a gradual rescue, and in the past months we knocked the door of salvation via the agreement with the International Monetary Fund.”

“However, the agreement with the IMF can be amended, we must cooperate with the parliament to approve the required bills before continuing negotiations with the IMF,” he said.

Mikati thanked those who voted for his assignment, as well as those who did not.

“This assignment gives me double confidence and we must all cooperate to save our country from what it is floundering in,” he added.

He also called upon all political forces to assume “historic responsibility to complete the salvation process.”

Mikati’s assignment was expected days ago, and came after a long day of binding parliamentary consultations at the Presidential Palace in the capital Beirut.

Mikati competed with politician Nawaf Salam, who served as Lebanon’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN between July 2007 and December 2017.

Mikati is a 66 year old billionaire who received the support of 54 out of 128 parliament seats, while 46 deputies did not name anyone. Salam won 25 votes, while former Prime Minister Saad Hariri received only one vote.

For nearly two and a half years, Lebanon has been witnessing a severe economic crisis, which led to a financial collapse amid a scarcity of fuel, medicine, and other basic commodities.