Lebanon's PM Mikati condemns Israeli crimes, urges Presidential elections

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati emphasized, during a Cabinet session, the necessity of electing a president, stating, "We will not allow a vacuum to creep into [state] institutions."

On Thursday, PM Mikati condemned the crimes perpetrated by the Israeli side, demanding the implementation of Resolution 1701 and all international resolutions issued by the Security Council regarding South Lebanon.

He also called upon young people to enlist in the state's military, security, and administrative institutions, affirming, "We are dedicated to bolstering the ranks of the Lebanese Army, Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, and customs with qualified officers."

In another context, he emphasized, "It is our duty to alert and act to prevent the permanent increase in prices of goods and services [...] I request from the Minister of Economy to activate monitoring."

"I also reiterate the obligation for ministries, judiciary, institutions, and administrations to conduct campaigns to combat price manipulation, so that citizens do not remain victims of greed, corruption, and lack of accountability," he added.

Regarding the Syrian refugee file, he affirmed that "what we have agreed upon and the decisions we have made regarding it are being followed up by the relevant ministries and agencies, foremost among them the General Security, through meetings with all relevant agencies."

In the upcoming session, "we will invite the General Security Director to join us and provide an update on the progress of implementing the plan in this regard. Additionally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will soon visit Syria," he concluded.