Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday met with Arab League Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, prior to the opening of the 31st Arab Summit this afternoon in Algeria.
The meeting was attended by Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdullah Bou Habib, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, and the Lebanese delegation to the summit. During the meeting, Aboul Gheit reiterated “the Arab League’s support for the Lebanese government,” stressing “the paramount importance of exerting all the necessary efforts to hold Lebanese presidential elections on time.”
In an interview with the “Sky News Arabia”, Mikati, stressed that “the powers of the President of the Republic do not apply, according to the constitution, to the Prime Minister, but to the Council of Ministers,” pledging to work to manage the country’s affairs without provocation.
The PM further stressed that Lebanon’s priority remained to elect a new president and form a new government.
As for the possibility of summoning the Council of Ministers to convene, Mikati said: “If there is no basic and urgent national need, I will not call for a cabinet session, but we will continue to conduct routine caretaker activities.”
In response to another question about the possibility of having some ministers boycott his call for a cabinet meeting, Mikati said: “If quorum is secured, the session will held and decisions will be taken by a two-thirds majority. I hope that everyone will cooperate to help surpass this difficult stage.”
Whether the caretaker government is authorized to complete the signature of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund, Mikati replied: “We have signed a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund, as for the final signature, (…) the constitution notes that if the government resigns and functions in a caretaker mode, the work of the House of Parliament remains in place to keep pace with its work.”
Source: NNA
