Current Lebanese PM tapped to form new government

Lebanon’s lawmakers designate incumbent Prime Minister Najib Mikati to form a new government, more than a month after parliamentary elections that yielded no clear majority.

The 66-year-old billionaire, who had been widely expected to keep his job, secured 54 votes during parliamentary consultations, giving him a clear edge over other potential nominees.

President Michel Aoun now asks him to form a new government, a task analysts fear could take weeks, if not months, despite the economic emergency facing the country.

The powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, whose political alliance lost the clear majority it had in the previous parliament, threw its weight behind Mikati.