Billionaire Najib Mikati was named Lebanon's prime minister-designate on Monday after receiving enough votes from parliamentarians, AP reports.
Why it matters: Mikati will now be tasked with forming a viable government that can pursue immediate reforms for recovery amid the country's devastating economic crisis.
Driving the news: Mikati's appointment comes less than two weeks after Saad Hariri stepped down as prime minister-designate amid months of political deadlock. Hariri cited "key differences" with President Michel Aoun.
- Lebanon has not had a working government since Hassan Diab's Cabinet resigned days after a deadly explosion last August that killed more than 200 people and left roughly 250,000 homeless.
- Since then, Diab's government has stayed on in a caretaker capacity, compounding the country's economic and political crises, AP notes.
The big picture: Mikati, who has been prime minister twice before, received the backing of most of Lebanon's political parties.
- The international community has repeatedly called on the country to form a government that can enact structural economic reforms, per Al Jazeera.
What he's saying: “Alone, I don’t have a magic wand and cannot achieve miracles,” Mikati said, per AP.
- “We are in very difficult situation ... it is a difficult mission that can only succeed if we all work together.”