Mikati: Retreat is Not an Option for Me Right Now

The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied in an interview with "An-Nahar" that he had made a decision to retreat as reported by some media. However, he confirmed that "there are always limits to patience and God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity." He indicated that "the matter of retreat does not currently appear in his vocabulary, but if the situation continues to be characterized by obstruction and a lack of responsiveness and cooperation, then all possibilities could become relevant to him." Mikati emphasized that "when I made those statements and warnings yesterday and sounded the alarm with all my strength, I was not seeking popularity or trying to relieve myself of responsibilities that everyone knows we are struggling under due to their continuation. I did what I did and said what I said from a pained and tormented heart over how things have turned amid the obstruction game that some have become accustomed to, finding their intended goal in combating opponents and scoring points against them." He rejected the idea that "our government should serve as a punching bag for some or a mailbox for others to send messages to those who need to receive them. This is the essence of what I said and emphasized yesterday before the ministers who participated in the last cabinet session."