Najib Mikati, the caretaker prime minister, declared on Tuesday that he was determined to move forward with the process of forming the cabinet “despite the many obstacles being placed in our way, let alone the conditions and insinuations that aim to create a fait accompli midst the most dangerous stage of our history.”

“We are determined to continue working in accordance with the requirements of the constitution and the nation’s best interest;  no one will be allowed to sabotage and obstruct the constitutional process,” Mikati added.

The PM hoped that “the House of Parliament will succeed in electing a new president within the constitutional deadline, because the existing challenges require cooperation and integration among constitutional institutions.”

Moreover, Mikati censured what he described as “non-innocent campaigns against the Taif Accord,” stressing that “thanks to this agreement, guns were stopped and state institutions returned to performing their normal role; this agreement is not sacred, but it certainly is better than chaos and demagogy.”

Mikati’s words came during the launch of the “Youth Forum for Lebanon’s Advancement towards a New Centenary”, under the slogan of “Education first…Lebanon is a country of knowledge” at the Phenicia Hotel.

The event has been jointly organized by the “National Initiative for the Centenary of Greater Lebanon” and ” Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development.”