Lebanon's president says new government best choice country can get

By Mahmut Geldi

BEIRUT (AA) - The president of Lebanon said Friday that the new government is the choice the country can get.

Michel Aoun told reporters the country is at the abyss and needs to get distance from that situation

He said Lebanon will focus on poverty, debt, the coronavirus pandemic and problems the explosion at the Beirut Port left behind, as well as key issues such bread, gasoline and diesel.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his support for the newly-formed government of Najib Mikati.

He said the country has a government following a year-long gap and took to Twitter to say he supported the government efforts against a collapse and to initiate reforms.

Earlier Friday, Aoun and Mikati signed a decree in the presence of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to form the new government.

Aoun assigned Mikati to form the government on July 26 after Hariri and Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adib apologized for not completing the task because of differences between political forces.

The Mikati government will succeed the caretaker government that resigned six days after a catastrophic explosion hit the Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020.

For more than a year, political differences have prevented the formation of a government that would put an end to the economic collapse and succeed the caretaker government headed by Hassan Diab.

For nearly two years, Lebanon has been afflicted by the worst economic crisis in its history, which led to a financial collapse and a decline in foreign exchange, reflected in shortages of fuel, medicine and other basic commodities.