Prime Minister-Designate says he will not give up task of forming new government in Lebanon

As press reports suggested Tuesday that Prime Minister-Designate Najib Miqati might give up the task of forming the government due to the obstacles he’s facing, the nominated premier stressed he would not abandon his “duties.”

In a chat conversation with reporters, Miqati said he wasn't holding onto power but at the same time would not give up the task of forming the government. "I will not give up the cabinet formation task not because I am holding onto power but out of conviction that I should carry on with my mission to preserve the stability and unity of Lebanon and the role of constitutional institutions," he explained.

According to Miqati, the people's problems should not be ignored and the government should be formed quickly to find the appropriate solutions. He told reporters that he was seeking to form a cabinet made up of a "homogeneous team" but at the same time he would take into consideration the expectations of MPs who named him to establish a government of a political nature.

While noting that the negotiation door would remain open as long as the cabinet formation decrees haven’t been issued, Miqati emphasized that not a single government in Lebanon can be one-sided because the Lebanese system is characterized by diversity.

Earlier, Speaker Nabih Berri told Lebanese daily The Daily Star that this week should be decisive for Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati's attempts to form a new government. "This week will be decisive. It will see the beginning of the final stage of the birth of the new government," Berri said in the remarks published Tuesday. "Consultations and contacts will be intensified in an attempt to overcome the last remaining hurdles standing in the way of the government's formation," he added.