PM-designate Mikati announced progress in the government formation consultations with President Aoun

Sources close to the Lebanese Presidency told Al Mayadeen that there is a serious step in the course of forming the government after overcoming many obstacles.

The Lebanese PM-designate Najib Mikati announced a few days ago that "progress has been made in the consultations to form a government with President Michel Aoun."

In a speech after he met with President Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace, Mikati said, "We have made progress, albeit slow, during consultations with President Aoun regarding the formation of the new government," adding, "We are committing a great sin against Lebanon if we do not speed up the government formation."

Aoun addressed the Lebanese people on the eve of the Beirut port explosion anniversary, revealing that he was working with the designated Prime Minister Mikati to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of forming the government.

In this context, Al Mayadeen sources added that the refusal of the caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab to hold a government session goes against the constitution, which actually allows a resigned government to hold a session.

Yesterday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for a government meeting to discuss the fuel crisis in the country after the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon Riad Salameh decided to lift subsidies on fuel.

Salameh said that “the decision to finance the operations of opening credits at certain prices to supply fuel imports matches Banque du Liban's capabilities,” adding that if the mandatory reserve in the Central Bank reaches the borderline, the bank is obliged to stop financing these credits and to provide an alternative.