The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ambassadors of the "Quintet Committee" at the Grand Serail, including: Saudi Ambassador Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari, French Ambassador Hervé Magro, Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Saud bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Egyptian Ambassador Alaa Moussa, and US Ambassador Lisa Johnson. The Prime Minister commended the committee members' efforts and encouraged them to continue working towards unifying the vision and pushing for the election of a new president for the country, emphasizing that the president should foster dialogue, support economic and social reforms, and be a fundamental pillar in implementing the constitution and the Taif Agreement.
Mikati affirmed that "Lebanon values the Quintet's efforts and its commitment to its stability and security," hoping that "the lawmakers will assume their responsibilities in electing a president."
The Egyptian ambassador stated after the meeting: "We held an important meeting with President Mikati, continuing our discussions and tours that began previously with Lebanese officials and several political bloc leaders. As I mentioned, sometimes we operate as a Quintet Committee and at other times we communicate bilaterally, but at the same time we express the Quintet's perspective." He added: "We addressed several constants during the meeting, which I will reiterate: it has become urgent to quickly elect a president. The circumstances Lebanon and the region are facing compel us all, both our brothers in Lebanon and with the Quintet's assistance, to fulfill this obligation. We affirmed once again the united position of the 'Quintet' and our commitment to provide all the help and facilitation as long as there is a genuine commitment and will from the political forces, which we have sensed in the past period."
He continued: "There is a new spirit and will that may vary in intensity, and this is what we will work on in the upcoming period to reach a unified position and a roadmap to complete the presidential election process."
When asked when a real step toward the presidential elections would occur, especially since you had expressed optimism about this matter, he responded: "We remain optimistic, and after our meeting with the President, we left with a strong feeling of hope. What we heard from the President encourages us to continue what we started a while ago when we met with President Berri. Regarding the timing, we must recognize that the process is not simple; it is complex and subject to surrounding conditions, and thus there is no delay compared to the timeframe we all started in awaiting the election of a president. The upcoming period will not significantly affect progress but will help prepare the atmosphere."
"In reality, the political forces' movement and what is currently happening reflect a genuine effort from the political forces and parliamentary blocs, all aiming to facilitate and create a common ground for everyone to work on to ease the election of a president; therefore, they are commendable for their efforts, and this will yield results. We may continue our discussions and meetings with various political forces in the upcoming period to reach a unanimous position and commitment to conclude this obligation as soon as possible."
When asked if previous statements indicated reluctance to link the presidential elections to the ongoing war in the south and the region, he replied: "We believe there does not necessarily have to be a direct link between what is happening in Gaza and Lebanon. What is happening in Gaza affects not just Lebanon but the entire region. We emphasize the importance of looking at the positive link, meaning that what is happening in Gaza should serve as a greater impetus for Lebanon to finalize the presidential election process, as it is critical not only now but for days to come. The challenges and commitments the region will witness necessitate having a president in Lebanon who speaks on its behalf, which is extremely important. This is what we are striving for in the upcoming period, again focusing on creating the right conditions and achieving a clear commitment from the political forces that genuinely desire to conclude this matter as quickly as possible."
When asked if there are disagreements within the Quintet group, he answered: "The Quintet's position is unified; they speak in the same voice and language, and there are no disagreements among its members. Next time, we will invite you to attend the Quintet's discussions so you can see the extent of harmony and coordination among its members."
When asked whether the committee discussed names, he stated: "The Quintet does not discuss names, which is a fundamental and exclusive right of Lebanon and the Lebanese political forces."
It is noteworthy that the ambassadors of the "Quintet" held a meeting at the French Embassy in Lebanon after initiating their recent movement concerning the presidential file in a meeting with the President of the Parliament, Nabih Berri.
### Mikati with the Minister of Finance
On another note, Mikati chaired a meeting of the committee tasked with following up on the Cabinet's decision regarding public administrations earlier today at the Grand Serail. The meeting included: Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil, Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Nagla Riachi, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers Judge Mahmoud Makki, Director General of the Ministry of Finance George Mraoui, Head of the Civil Service Council Nasreen Mashmoshi, Head of the Central Inspection Authority George Atiyeh, and former Minister and advisor to the Prime Minister Nicolas Nahhas.
The Minister of Finance confirmed: "The total cost of the assistance provided is noted in the budget, estimated at around 2,900 billion Lebanese pounds monthly, making the total cost of salaries, wages, and pensions about 10,700 billion Lebanese pounds monthly, including the salaries and wages of municipalities and public institutions."
As a result of the meeting, the following decisions were made:
1. Request the Minister of Administrative Development to complete the necessary steps to provide fingerprint machines in all departments to start operating them before 01-05-2024.
2. Request regulatory bodies to tighten monitoring of attendance and the performance of public sector workers in the required tasks, as well as to demand that administrations activate all cascading oversight, holding cascading bosses, especially general directors, accountable.
3. Ensure that all public sector workers adhere to the official working hours specified by Law No. 46/2017.
### General Security
The Prime Minister also received the Acting Director General of General Security, Major General Elias Beissari, in the morning to discuss the security situation.
