Crisis-hit Lebanon picks billionare Najib Mikati as next PM-designate
July 27, 2021
Lebanese lawmakers on Monday tasked ex-premier and billionaire Najib Mikati Monday with forming a government and ending one year of political deadlock that has crippled the economy.
Mikati, seen by many as a symbol of Lebanon’s corrupt oligarchy, will pick up where Saad Hariri left off earlier this month, after failing to broker a deal despite intense international pressure.
A new government would face the daunting task of steering Lebanon through one of the worst phases in its history, and to polls slated for next year amid unprecedented popular distrust.