BEIRUT (Anadolu/Xinhua) – Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said Wednesday he handed his government formation to the country’s President Michel Aoun.
“I have handed President Aoun the cabinet line-up that I see fit,” Mikati told reporters following his meeting with Aoun.
On Tuesday, Mikati concluded his parliamentary consultations with lawmakers regarding the formation of the upcoming government.
The premier-designate voiced hope that he could form a government “that can carry out its duty and deal with… talks with the International Monetary Fund and deal with the electricity linkage with Egypt, Syria and Jordan.”
Mikati assured that the new cabinet will put the national interest at the forefront of its responsibilities.
The Lebanese government in April reached a staff-level preliminary agreement with the IMF to finance Lebanon with 3 billion dollars over a period of four years.
The funding deal, which is subject to approval by the IMF, requires the Lebanese government to implement a host of reforms, including passing a capital control law and a banking secrecy law, restructuring the banking sector, and unifying the exchange rates.
Mikati headed the last Lebanese government in September 2021 after a vacuum of 13 months. His government, however, turned into a caretaker capacity in May following the Lebanese parliamentary elections.
Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic crisis, including a massive currency depreciation as well as fuel and medical shortages.