Lebanon's new Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati today said he would work to form a government and implement a French plan to save the country from its crippling financial crisis, Reuters reported.
![Lebanon is one long tale of disaster and crisis - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_1180.jpeg?resize=500%2C312&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Lebanon is one long tale of disaster and crisis – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]
"I don't have a magic wand and can't perform miracles… but I have studied the situation for a while and have international guarantees," Mikati said after he won a majority of votes in parliamentary consultations to be nominated.
France's plan includes a government of specialists capable of initiating enough reforms to attract foreign aid.
Mikati received 73 votes out of 118 members of parliament and was appointed the country's new prime minister-designate.
His predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down earlier this month after failing to form a government for months. He had been in deadlock with President Michael Aoun over his choice of ministers.
For nearly a year, Lebanon has been governed by an interim government after Prime Minister Hassan Diab's cabinet resigned in the wake of the deadly Beirut port explosion in August 2020.
READ: Lebanon Sunni leaders endorse tycoon Mikati to form new government