Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (l) received by Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Diman, on Aug. 2, 2023. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati that a "ministerial meeting" be held next Tuesday in Dimane — the summer headquarters of Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai — the Grand Serail said in a Wednesday statement.
His proposal comes as caretaker cabinet meetings are being boycotted by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), who believe Mikati is overstepping his authority during the ongoing presidential vacuum.
Rai has also previously criticized the cabinet meetings held by Mikati.
"I reiterated to the Patriarch that none of the ministers intend to usurp anyone's prerogatives," Mikati said after a meeting with Rai in Dimane on Wednesday. "We are working to keep this state standing, and we call for the election of a president as soon as possible."
Lebanon has been without a president since Oct. 31, 2022, when Michel Aoun stepped down from office.
Mikati assured that he and Rai discussed "the projects and draft laws presented to parliament," specifying that the government "has sent the necessary documents" to Parliament, "which must fulfill its duty as soon as possible, as this is one of the means to save the country."
Many MPs believe that Parliament should only form an electoral college until a president is elected, and should not legislate.
The monthly meeting of Maronite bishops
During the regular meeting of Maronite bishops, held on the first Wednesday of every month, the bishops paid tribute to the victims of the Aug. 4, 2020, explosion at the port of Beirut.
"We demand an end to political interference in the investigation that the investigating judge must complete, as well as an international investigation committee," they said in a statement.
The families of the victims plan to commemorate the third anniversary of the tragedy on Friday. The explosion killed more than 220 people, injured over 6,500 others, and devastated entire neighborhoods in Beirut. The investigation is stalled due to political interference.
The bishops also discussed the recent visit to Lebanon by Jean-Yves Le Drian, special envoy of French President Emmanuel Macron.
"We thank Mr. Le Drian for his efforts to resolve the presidential crisis and adopt the necessary reforms, and we urge the deputies to take their responsibilities and put an end to the presidential vacancy," they stated. The envoy proposed a meeting of various political actors in September.
Finally, the Maronite bishops expressed their "concern" about the situation in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain Al-Hilweh, which has been plagued by sporadic fighting since Saturday. They called on the government and security forces to "take urgent measures to stop the proliferation of weapons in the camps."