Lebanon President Aoun asks PM designate Hariri to form government or leave

Lebanon President Aoun asks PM designate Hariri to form government or leave

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun made a televised address Wednesday night and called on Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to visit the presidential palace to form a new cabinet immediately or else make way for someone who is able to. "If Prime Minister-designate Hariri finds himself unable to form a government, he should make way for those who are," Aoun said. "My call is determined and truthful to the prime minister-designate to choose immediately one of the two choices, as silence is not an option after today." Aoun also challenged accusations against him of obstructing the formation of the government. "There is no use in all positions and blame-shifting if the country collapses and the people become prisoners of despair and frustration," he said. "There is no escape for them but anger. Everything subsides in front of the people's suffering, which has reached levels that they cannot bear." Aoun and Hariri have been fighting over government formation since his nomination in October. Hariri hit back, saying he was surprised to hear the president's comments. "After many weeks of introducing an integrated lineup to a non-partisan specialist government capable of implementing the reforms required to stop the collapse and start reconstruction of