Lebanese PM calls for quick election of new president

BEIRUT: Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for the quick election of a new president to help overcome the country's problems and support people in dealing with their daily struggles.

"Have mercy on people and stop the useless arguments," Mikati said while addressing the different political parties, according to a statement by the Lebanese Council of Ministers.

Lebanon has been running without a president since October 2022, when the term of Former President Michel Aoun ended, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Lebanese Parliament has failed to elect a new president 12 times, because of a lack of consensus among the country's political factions.

The deadlock is a major obstacle to Lebanon's economic recovery as a new president is needed to form a new government and implement the reforms required by the International Monetary Fund, which has offered Lebanon a bailout package but has made clear that the reforms must be implemented before the money is released.

The country has been mired in a severe economic crisis since 2019, and the political impasse is only making things worse.