Saad Hariri Says He Doesn’t Want to Be Nominated for Lebanese Premier

(Bloomberg) --

Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s former premier close to Saudi Arabia, said he doesn’t want to be nominated to form a new government and that his party will name someone suitable for the post during consultations with the president.

Hariri, head of the Sunni-dominated Future bloc, accused his rivals of seizing on a new opportunity to “blackmail” him for their own personal interest, according to a statement Tuesday. He also asked politicians to stop considering his possible nomination.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has lobbied for Hariri to return to office, a few weeks after caretaker Premier Hassan Diab resigned in the face of mounting anger over the Aug. 4 blast in Beirut. Reports in local media have said that the president had already rejected Hariri’s nomination.

Read more: How the Beirut Blast Has Worsened Lebanon’s Crises

President Michel Aoun has yet to announce the start of parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister.

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