The campaign of "presidential defamation" between the Baabda Palace and the Serail continues its escalating trajectory amid increasing intensity of statements, leaks, and exchanged statements, particularly after the head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," Gebran Bassil, forcefully entered the fray of direct attacks on Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati. Bassil mocked Mikati's travels on "yacht and plane" between Greece and Britain while "the government is being formed at the Baabda Palace," concluding that Mikati "does not want to form a government and admitted this to all the ministers before he was tasked," claiming he is seeking constitutional fatwas to legitimize the caretaker government, justifying it by saying that "it's not vital" to form a government for just three months.
In response, Mikati did not delay in addressing the "Presidency and those orbiting around it" through a statement issued by his media office. He too mocked the statement regarding President Michel Aoun's activity, which noted that His Excellency "is following up on the government formation process," questioning: "Who was he following up with?" since Mikati has yet to receive any response regarding his request for an appointment to visit Baabda last Tuesday.
In contrast to what he described as "leaks cloaked in feeble niceties" from presidential sources, Mikati emphasized that the ministerial lineup he presented to Aoun the day after the parliamentary consultations "is the appropriate framework for discussion, especially since it aligns with his responsibilities, proposals, and the goals to be achieved in this very narrow phase. This work is what the constitution requires, as the Prime Minister bears responsibility before the Parliament." He reaffirmed that "the Presidency should intervene to stop the practices and interventions of some around it who insist on sabotaging and obstructing."
