Lebanese PM hands in resignation to president

The Daily Star, March 23, 2013

President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati hold talks at
Baabda Palace on Friday, March 22, 2013. (The Daily Star/DalatiNohra)

                              

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati handed in his resignation to President Michel Sleiman Saturday and stressed that his decision was a personal one.

“I did not consult any side before taking the decision to step down from my position: My decision was a personal one,” Mikati, who formed his 30 member Cabinet in June 2011, told reporters at Baabda Palace, where he formally handed his resignation to Sleiman.

For his part, Sleiman expressed gratitude for the government’s work and called on it to assume the role of caretaker cabinet until a new one is formed, a statement from the president’s office said.

Mikati’s decision Friday came shortly after Hezbollah and its March 8 allies foiled attempts during a Cabinet session to create a body to supervise the June 9 parliamentary polls and rejected the premier’s proposal for the extension of the police chief’s term.

At a news conference following his talks with Sleiman, Mikati reiterated his hope that his resignation would pave the way for a solution to end the political deadlock in the country.

He also reiterated his call for the resumption of National Dialogue under the auspices of Sleiman.

“What is important now is to resume National Dialogue and to form a salvation Cabinet at such a critical phase,” the Tripoli lawmaker said.

Asked about the possibility of being renamed prime minster to form the next Cabinet, Mikati said: “It is too early to address such an issue.”

Mikati’s announcement Friday was praised by the opposition March 14 coalition.

After accepting the resignation of the prime minister and appointing him as caretaker, Sleiman calls for the launch of parliamentary consultations for the naming of a new prime minister-designate.