Lebanese President Michel Aoun has postponed the anticipated and long-awaited Parliamentary Consultations once more, this time, postponing it another week until December 16, 2019, as per an official statement released by the Presidential Palace on December 8, 2019. Maybe he doesn’t want to disturb everyone’s Christmas shopping?
The official statement stated that President Aoun took this decision: “In light of the recent developments, particularly those that took place this afternoon (Sunday), and as per the desire and request of most of Lebanon’s major parliamentary blocs.”
Lawmakers were originally scheduled to meet with President Aoun on Monday, December 9, 2019, and submit their nomination for Lebanon’s next Prime Minister. They have been failing to do so since Hariri’s resignation, and each nominee withdrawing their nomination before it even became official.
President Aoun’s decision comes in response to the official announcement of Samir Khatib, a former nominee for the position of Prime Minister, withdrawing his candidacy for the premiership after the country’s highest Sunni authority reportedly told him “it supports Saad Hariri as Prime Minister.”
Khatib met with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian at Dar al-Fatwa earlier Sunday, where the grand mufti informed him of his stance. May the force be with all of us.
