Lebanon PM-designate Hariri steps down after months of deadlock

Gulf Today Report

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced that he is stepping down from the post on Thursday.

Hariri offered his apology for forming the Lebanese government on Wednesday with 24 ministers.

On Thursday, Hariri stressed that he had not reached an agreement with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and therefore stepped down.

Hariri said that it has become clear that no agreement can be reached with the Lebanese president.

Hariri visited the presidential palace on Wednesday, upon his arrival from Cairo, and met President Michel Aoun for half an hour.

In a statement after the meeting, he said: "I presented to President Aoun a government of 24 ministers from specialists according to the French initiative and according to the initiative of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and for me this government is able to take over the country and start working to stop the

He added, "We are waiting for an answer from the president today (Thursday), so that we can build on the necessary," noting that "we have been trying to form a government for nine months, and now the time for the truth has come.

This came after Al-Hariri received support for his political path from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in order to restore stability in the country, at a time when accompanying sources said that Egypt demanded Hariri not to apologise, and pledged to invite several Arab countries for coordination meetings on Lebanon.