Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has hinted at the first obstacle hindering his mission, days after expressing optimism on the formation of a new government.
Well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that President Michel Aoun has told Mikati that there should be a rotation in the sectarian distribution of sovereign portfolios, including the Finance Ministry, which Speaker Nabih Berri insists on keeping with the Shiites.
Following a meeting with Aoun at Baabda Palace on Monday, Mikati asserted that he adopted the same sectarian distribution that his predecessor Saad Hariri had presented to the president, hinting at the possibility of giving up his task to form a government.
“As far as I am concerned, the timeframe (on the cabinet formation) is not open. Let he who wishes to understand, understand,” the premier-designate told reporters at Baabda.
“I had hoped for a faster pace,” he said, adding: “The Lebanese are sick of hearing about quotas and the distribution of portfolios.”
Mikati stressed that the country “needs to be rescued,” saying: “Either we rise above all considerations, or we all remain where we are.”
“The Lebanese no longer want to hear about quotas and sects, rather they seek a government that does not cause additional frustration,” he underlined.
