Report: Mikati's nomination for PM post facing serious competition
The developments of the past few days have put the re-nomination of caretaker PM Najib Mikati for the premier post in “serious risk,” MTV reported on Monday, adding that the various opposition factions are holding contacts behind the scenes in order to agree on a single candidate.
“The Progressive Socialist Party has agreed with the Lebanese Forces not to nominate Mikati and to agree on a common alternative candidate. The Kataeb Party has also expressed readiness to agree on a candidate for the opposition with its various formations,” MTV said.
“As for the opposition MPs, such as Neemat Frem, Michel Mouawad, Michel Daher, Fouad Mazkhzoumi, Ashraf Rifi and others, they will not nominate Mikati and they are at the heart of the ongoing contacts to agree on an alternative candidate,” the TV network added.
The so-called “change MPs” are meanwhile “discussing the PM candidate with openness, contrary to the previous parliamentary junctures, and they may agree with the rest of the opposition forces on a single candidate, knowing that the candidate who has the highest chances is Nawwaf Salam,” MTV went on to say, noting that MPs Najat Saliba and Mark Daou have already endorsed his nomination in a statement.
“The opposition’s agreement on a single candidate would grant him more than 60 votes in the consultations, the thing that would embarrass Hezbollah, which will push it to try to change (Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran) Bassil’s stance” on Mikati’s nomination, the TV network added.
“This would put Mikati’s nomination in danger and it would also strip it of its conformity to the National Pact, because the vast majority of Christian MPs would not vote for him and he would also not win any Druze vote,” MTV said.
It also noted that an opposition candidate would also not enjoy conformity to the National Pact, seeing as he would also lack any Shiite support.
MTV added that “as a conclusion, there will be no government in the foreseeable future and Mikati is inclined to hold sessions for his (caretaker) cabinet.”
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