Mikati calls for elections at the event declaring "Tripoli as the Arab Capital of Culture"

The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati praised Tripoli as an unparalleled city, embodying a rich blend of religious, educational, cultural, and commercial elements. 

"Tripoli is the mosque and the church, the school and the hospice, the library, and the university, the hospital and the market for the poor, the inns and the crafts, the fortress and the fair, the river and the sea, the islands and the hills, the alleys and the streets, the owned and modern neighborhoods," he said. 

Speaking at the event declaring "Tripoli as the Arab Capital of Culture," Mikati noted the steadfast Arab identity of its people, committed to the Arab cause, particularly the Palestinian issue, and now standing against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

Mikati identified the exhibition named after the late Prime Minister Rashid Karami as a key marker of Tripoli's new era. He stressed the need to apply the principle of renewing history in Lebanon's public policy to avoid repeating the same crises.

He pointed out that the current political paralysis is history repeating itself, with some politicians failing to learn from past mistakes and causing significant harm to the nation and its citizens. 

"This is happening amidst challenging and dangerous circumstances, including the economic and financial crisis, security issues stemming from the Gaza war and ongoing Israeli aggression in the south, and the burdens of the Syrian refugee crisis affecting every village, city, and neighborhood in Lebanon," he added.

From Tripoli, Mikati reiterated his message of resilience, stating, "There is no room for despair in our hearts. We are determined to work with resolve and willpower to overcome this difficult period in Lebanon's history, to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people as much as possible, and to set things on the path to recovery."