A statement from the media office of the Presidency of the Republic reads: In recent days, the media has discussed various positions and opinions regarding the formation of the new government, attributing some to President Michel Aoun and others to the Prime Minister-designate, as well as to politicians, media figures, and others. It is regrettable that some of the published positions have exceeded norms and sometimes propriety and rules of communication.
To clarify matters, the media office of the Presidency affirms that the President's position on the issue of government formation is based on the following facts:
First: The Constitution clearly defines the mechanism to be followed in forming governments, especially in paragraph five of Article 53, which states that the President of the Republic "issues, in agreement with the Prime Minister, the decree for the formation of the government and the decrees accepting the resignations of ministers or dismissing them." Thus, the President is not willing to relinquish his full constitutional partnership in forming the government. This means that it is not enough for the Prime Minister-designate to present a government formation that is the result of his convictions based on available data, the positions of blocs, deputies, political leaders, and figures; the President has his opinions and observations and is responsible before his constitutional oath and the people. Additionally, the Prime Minister is accountable to the Parliament, and President Aoun is not inclined to waive this responsibility for any reason, nor is he considering accepting a policy of imposition.
Second: Regarding the time requested by the Prime Minister-designate to visit Baabda Palace, the truth is that the President has never closed the palace door to anyone, let alone the designated Prime Minister. The fact is that the President was waiting for a new approach from him in light of the observations made on the proposed formation, in order to strengthen it in light of the anticipated tasks for the new government amidst the sensitive and severe challenges affecting the country, which do not tolerate prolonged caretaking and false hopes. Moreover, the Prime Minister-designate contacted President Aoun before his trip and informed him that he would visit him upon his return.
Third: It is regrettable to imply in some writings and statements that the Presidency is disrespecting the position of the Prime Minister. This has never been the stance of the President, neither in words nor in practice. Therefore, relying on "surrounding" and "whispering," as well as "obstructing" and "offending," does not match reality because what President Aoun wants to announce, he states clearly and explicitly without ambiguity, directly or through the media office of the Presidency.
Fourth: The pressing need today is for a fully constitutional government that can make executive decisions, not for statements from here and leaks from there that complicate matters further.
The media office of the Presidency hopes these clarifications put an end to any discussions, especially since the place and constitutional method for forming the government are known, and anything else is unacceptable.
**Mikati's Response**
Subsequently, a statement from the media office of Prime Minister Najib Mikati reads: In response to the statement issued by the media office of the Presidency, we state the following:
First: The Prime Minister appreciates what was mentioned in the third paragraph of the presidential statement regarding dissociation from the offenses committed by some close to the President, which is a matter known to all. He also values the President's affirmation of his commitment to not disrespect the position of the Prime Minister.
Second: Regarding the President's constitutional right, the Prime Minister announced that he presented a government formation that reflects the outcome of his communications and started discussions about it with the President. Therefore, the Prime Minister never claimed that he wanted to deny the President the right to express his opinion and observations. This needed clarification.
