BEIRUT: Lebanon's premier-designate stepped down Saturday, saying he had been unable to form a reform-minded government to lift the country out of its worst economic crisis in decades.
Lebanon's last government resigned in the aftermath of a colossal blast at Beirut's port on August 4 that killed more than 190 people, wounded thousands and ravaged swathes of the capital.
Since his nomination on August 31, Mustapha Adib has been under pressure to form a new cabinet as soon as possible to carry out the necessary reforms to unlock billions of dollars in foreign aid.
"I excuse myself from continuing the task of forming the government," Adib said in a televised speech.
"I apologise to the Lebanese people... for my inability to realise its aspirations for a reformist team," he said.
Government formation can drag on for months in multi-confessional Lebanon, where a power-sharing agreement seeks to maintain a fragile balance between all sides. This effectively means that all main political parties must agree on major decisions, including the makeup of any future cabinet even before it is submitted for parliamentary approval.
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