Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his resignation on Friday after Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies blocked the creation of a body to supervise parliamentary elections and opposed extending the term of a senior security official.
"I announce the resignation of the government," Mikati told a news conference in the government offices overlooking central Beirut.
This after cabinet failed to extend the Internal Security Forces General Director Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi's mandate as police chief as well as address the controversial issue of the formation of an Elections Supervisory Committee to oversee the upcoming polls, leaving the fate of the government unknown.
The session came to an abrupt end Friday following high tensed statements made on the part of several ministers prior to their arrival to the Baabda Palace where the cabinet had been set to discuss the two aforementioned items.
Amid the discontent and highly charged rhetoric voiced by the ministers it seemed the cabinet session was doomed to failure even before it had commenced.
Speaking at the end of a two-hour cabinet meeting, ministerial sources said President Michel Suleiman had suspended any further government meetings after Mikati's ministers failed to agree on the issues.
The session kicked off with the appointment of Brig. Gen. Mohammad Kheir as
Secretary General of the military council.
However, PM Mikati said that
he will build his position regarding the cabinet’s resignation based on the
course of the session.
On Tripoli, President Sleiman had said that the situation is under control, stressing that dialogue will play a key role in ensuring the country’s safety.
Prior to the session, Sleiman met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati who arrived to Baabda accompanied by Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who in turn declared that the item pertaining to the extension of the mandate of ISF chief Ashraf Rifi is not included in the session’s agenda, stressing that it is the PM’s call whether or not to discuss it.
For his part, Labor Minister Salim Jreissati declared that the Change and Reform bloc rejects the extension of ISF Director General Ashraf Rifi's mandate, the formation of an Elections Supervisory Committee and the cabinet’s resignation.
In turn, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed that he will defend his stance pertaining to the need to extend Rifi’s mandate at least until the month of September and according to a decree.
However, Minister of State Ali Qanso explained that extending Rifi’s mandate requires passing a law. Later on he announced that the item pertaining to the Election Supervisory Committee had received a negative vote, alluding that it had been discussed.
In this context, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour declared that Mikati is insisting on his position in favor of the extension of Rifi’s term, noting that the cabinet is standing at “a dangerous crossroads.”
For his part, Minister of State Ahmad Karami said: “Goodbye cabinet if Rifi’s term were not extended today.”
In contrast, Minister of Health Ali Hassan Khalil confirmed that the item related to the Election
Supervisory Body was not discussed during today’s cabinet session