Saad Hariri Says He Doesn’t Want to Be Nominated for Lebanese Premier
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.
President Michel Aoun has yet to announce the start of parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister.
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