MP Halimé El Kaakour (c) and other protest MPs at the Parliament building in Beirut after their meeting with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati. (Credit: Flickr/Lebanese Parliament)
BEIRUT — “We will obviously not participate in a government of quotas or of ‘national unity,’” declared MP Halimé El Kaakour Monday, in a statement issued following a meeting with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati.
Here’s what we know:
• In a very brief exchange with journalists, Kaakour said the opposition MPs told the Mikati that “he is partly responsible for the current situation.”
• Recalling that the opposition MPs have criticized all the previous governments, Kaakour assured to have “called for a government made up of independents, a government restricted to three urgent subjects: security and social issues, the responsibility of banks and justice [...],” adding that it has to be a “rescue government.”
• Kaakour spoke on behalf of the 13 opposition MPs, many of whom were not present. However, according to her, the opposition MPs “agree” on most subjects. However, political analysts and commentators often point to the lack of unity and coordination between the group.