Lebanon’s PM Najib Mikati Says He Won’t Resign To Ensure Elections

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he will not resign his position, to ensure that the scheduled May 15 parliamentary elections are held as scheduled.

“I won’t be dragged into resigning so that it is not an excuse for obstructing parliamentary elections,” Mikati said in televised remarks on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Mikati, a billionaire, has served as prime minister three times; he began his most recent term in July after more than a year under a caretaker government. He announced earlier this month that he would not run for reelection in the upcoming parliamentary vote, saying he wanted to “provide room for the new generation.”

According to the country’s constitution, Lebanon’s president must be a Maronite Christian and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim. The previous government resigned in the wake of the massive Beirut port explosion nearly one year ago, that killed over 200 people and injured thousands and left much of the city in ruins.