Three months since his cabinet last met, Mikati calls for ‘quick resumption of government meetings’

BEIRUT — Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Wednesday once again called for the “quick resumption of government meetings.” Mikati’s comments come three months to the day since his government last met.

Here’s what we know:

    • During an event about the state of the environment in Lebanon at the Grand Serail, Mikati said, “our duty is to stop the obstruction and to get back to the cabinet table to achieve what is necessary.”

    • Mikati’s cabinet has not met since Oct. 12 due to a dispute among its members over the leadership of the investigation into the 2020 Beirut port explosion.

    • Commenting on Judge Ghada Aoun’s decision yesterday to place a travel ban on central bank Gov. Riad Salameh and on an Al-Akhbar newspaper report that Mikati threatened to resign if Salameh is prosecuted, the prime minister said, “It is not true that we interfered in the judiciary’s work and we stressed that we do not defend individuals but the work of institutions.”

    • Remarking on the ongoing financial crisis that has severely restricted bank account holders' access to their savings, Mikati said that his priority is to “maintain the rights of the depositors but without damaging what is left of economic and financial elements that would keep this country at least standing on its feet.”

    • On Dec. 28, Mikati said that the central bank head should remain in his post for now despite being investigated in multiple European countries and at home. “One does not change their officers during a war,” the prime minister said.