Lebanese president to hold consultations on new PM next week

 Leban's President Michel Aoun has called for binding consultations with members of parliament next week to name a new prime minister, his office said Wednesday.

anuncement comes two weeks after latest prime minister-designate resigned amid a political impasse over formation of a new government. Mustafa ib’s resignation on Sept. 26, dealt a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in this crisis-hit Mideast country. consultations are set for Oct. 15.

ib’s resignation nearly a month after he was appointed to job came at a time when Leban is going through a severe ecomic and financial crisis, me worse by spre of coronavirus, and desperately needs international assistance. crisis has been amplified by devastating explosion in Beirut’s port in August that killed 194 people, wounded about 6,500 and caused billions of dollars in dam.

After ib’s resignation, Macron accused Leban’s political class of “collective betrayal” and choosing “to favor ir partisan and individual interests to general detriment of country.”

Leban’s two main Shiite parties — militant Hezbollah and its ally Amal led by parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri — h insisted on retaining finance ministry in new government and on naming all Shiite Cabinet ministers. ib, Leban’s ambassor to Germany, rejected those conditions and stepped down.

Macron has been pressing Lebanese politicians to form a Cabinet me up of n-partisan specialists that can work on urgent reforms to extract Leban from financial crisis. Macron has traveled twice to Beirut since Beirut port explosion and has me it a personal mission to try to repair damd country, raising resentment from some who see it as a neo-colonial foray.

Outgoing Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned six days after Beirut blast on Aug. 4, when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates, a highly explosive chemical used in fertilizers, exploded at Beirut’s port. material h been stored at facility for six years.

What ignited nitrates remains unkwn. More than two dozen people, mostly port and customs officials, have been detained so far. judge in charge of investigation has questioned top security officials, former Cabinet ministers and port employees.

It was t clear if Leban’s political groups have agreed on future premier but former Prime Minister Najib Mikati has reportedly put forward a proposal for a 20-member Cabinet consisting of 14 experts and six politicians.

international community has said it will t help Leban financially before wide reforms in tiny country are implemented to fight widespre corruption and mismanment.

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