Ex-Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati Receives Parliament's Mandate to Form Government

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the majority of parliamentary votes needed to receive a mandate from President Michel Aoun to form a government, the NBN broadcaster reported.

According to the broadcaster, during the parliamentary consultations Mikati has already received 73 votes in his favor. To receive a mandate from the president, it is necessary to enlist the support of 65 out of 128 lawmakers.

An official statement from the office of the Lebanese president is expected to follow shortly. Mikati previously served as Lebanese Prime Minister twice, in 2005 and from 2011—2013.

Lebanon has long been mired in a major political crisis, exacerbated by the worst financial and economic gridlock in many years. The turmoil triggered mass demonstrations in October 2019, which have since ousted two governments. The current situation in Lebanon brings to the fore the urgency of forming a new government that will carry out all the necessary reforms and preparations for the 2022 elections. 

Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that Brussels was likely to approve by late July new sanctions against Lebanese officials impeding the formation of a new government.

The country has had no stable government since January 2020, when Saad Hariri, who was prime minister from 2016, left his post. He was appointed as the prime minister-designate again in October 2020, following the resignation of Hassan Diab, who quit over the Beirut port blast, and Mustapha Adib's refusal to form a government. Hariri claimed that he would manage to find a compromise between all blocs and parties, but failed.