Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed - today, Tuesday - that he will remain in his position to avoid giving any justification to disrupting the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15.
"I cannot be tempted to resign so that it is not a justification for disrupting the elections," Mikati said in televised comments outside a parliament session.
He pointed out, in a statement after a parliament session, that the country needs to combine all efforts to get out of the crisis, adding that the solution is not built by what he called the populist method taking place today with the approach of the parliamentary elections.
"For this reason, I will not resign," he added, noting that he had called for a vote of confidence on his government, which was rejected by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, noting that his request came after criticism from some officials of his government, but he did not provide further explanations.
The scheduled elections are the first since the Lebanese financial collapse in 2019 and the demonstrations in which thousands participated in protest against the ruling elite, which is seen as responsible for the corruption and waste that has been rampant for years.
The prime minister, who seemed upset, continued, saying that the electoral interests of some parties were harming the government's attempts to pull Lebanon out of its worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
"It is enough for personal interests to be given priority over national interests, because the homeland is the one who pays the price," he said.
Mikati's government was unable to agree on financial measures and reforms requested by Western donors and the International Monetary Fund, from which Lebanon is seeking a rescue plan.
Earlier this month, Mikati, a billionaire who served as prime minister three times, said he would not run for membership in the 128-member parliament, stressing that he wanted to give new faces a chance.