LEBANON: Saad al-Hariri potential nominee for prime minister “by default”

BEIRUT — After the explosion at Beirut’s port that killed nearly 200 people, injured over 6,000, and left 300,000 other homeless, and completed the implosion of Lebanese politics, several countries, especially France, have sought to help rebuild and reform the country’s economic and political reality.

French President Emmanuel Macron proposed an initiative that would form a stable government capable of meeting the requirements of the Lebanese people. However, the initiative failed due to the obstinacy of the Lebanese political parties, culminating in the resignation of Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib.

In an effort to implement the Macron initiative, former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced on Thursday that he is a potential candidate to form a new government, hoping to stop the economic collapse in Lebanon.

Al-Hariri declared that he is a candidate by default, and he will not close the only door of hope that Lebanon needs to stop this collapse, as he put it.

His announcement comes after his many previous refusals to run for prime minister.

Al-Hariri added that he is ready to contact all political parties which still agree on the program that was discussed with Macron and warned of a potential civil war in Lebanon.

The Lebanese state is in a precarious state and weapons are being stockpiled by various actors across the country.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun called on all parliamentary blocs to participate in consultations to name a new prime minister on 15 October.