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Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Tuesday that he would remain in office to avoid giving any excuse to disrupt the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15.
The scheduled elections are the first since the Lebanese financial collapse in 2019 and the demonstrations in which thousands participated in protest against the ruling elite, which is seen as responsible for the corruption and waste that has been rampant for years. “I cannot be tempted to resign so that it is not a justification for disrupting the elections,” Mikati said in televised comments outside a parliament session.
“For this reason, I will not resign,” Mikati added, noting that he had called for a vote of confidence on his government, which was rejected by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Mikati said that his request came after criticism from some officials of his government, but if he clarifies. The prime minister, who appeared alarmed, continued, saying that the electoral interests of some parties were harming the government’s attempts to pull Lebanon out of its worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. “It is enough for personal interests to be given priority over national interests, because the homeland is the one who pays the price,” he said.
Mikati’s government was unable to agree on financial measures and reforms requested by Western donors and the International Monetary Fund, from which Lebanon is seeking a rescue plan. Earlier this month, Mikati, a billionaire who has served as prime minister three times, said he would not run for the 128-member parliament, saying he wanted to give new faces a chance.