BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati called Friday on the Lebanese for a new era of cooperation, saying he is ready to extend his hand to the opposition March 14 coalition to ensure Lebanon’s security, stability and prosperity.

Apparently seeking to reassure March 14 parties which have claimed that his Cabinet was formed to confront the international community over a U.N.-backed court, Mikati said his government will neither confront nor challenge anyone in or outside Lebanon.

“Today, I again confirm that my hand is extended to everyone, in the opposition prior to the pro-government camp, in order to turn the page of the past and open a new page of cooperation, each in his position, for the sake of Lebanon’s immunity and prosperity of the Lebanese,” Mikati said during a meeting with the staff of the premiership at the Grand Serail.

He called on all Lebanese to cooperate to serve their country and work hard together to compensate for lost opportunities in past months.

Mikati spoke a day after his 30-member Cabinet won a parliamentary vote of confidence following a three-day heated debate of its policy statement during which March 14 lawmakers lambasted the prime minister, accusing him of renouncing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and putting the country on a collision course with the international community.

The government won the votes of 68 MPs out of the 128-member legislature. Western Bekaa MP Robert Ghanem from the March 14 camp abstained from voting, while Beirut MP Imad Hout from former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s parliamentary Future bloc did not attend.

The March 14 lawmakers walked out of Parliament before the vote, signaling their rejection of Mikati’s Cabinet which they consider to be controlled by Syria and Hezbollah.

Addressing the Grand Serail staff, Mikati said his Cabinet welcomed “a constructive and objective opposition.”

“Furthermore, I call for cooperation between pro-government and opposition figures in the country’s interest. Our government will not be a government of challenge, nor a government of futile confrontation, neither inside [Lebanon], nor with the outside [world],” he added.

“The government’s goal is [to serve] Lebanon’s interest, its sovereignty, independence, the safety of its territory and dignity, the comfort of the Lebanese and their security, stability and well-being. The government will only confront anyone who stands in the way of achieving these goals on which the Lebanese agree,” he added.

Mikati said following the confidence vote, “a new stage of work” was awaiting the government.

“The confidence session debate has shown that [MPs] concentrated more on political issues, while social issues are no less important than political issues which require a dialogue and consensus among the Lebanese,” he said. He promised that Cabinet would address basic issues that concern the Lebanese, like water, electricity, roads, telecommunications, schools and universities.

Mikati said the government would pay considerable attention to ensuring security and stability, as well as treating the economic crisis and enhancing the productivity of the state bureaucracy by filling vacant posts with qualified people and enhancing monitoring bodies.

During the three-day parliamentary debate, Mikati and his government came under blistering verbal attacks by March 14 MPs who accused the prime minister of abandoning the STL with an ambiguously worded clause stipulating that Lebanon would “respect” international resolutions as long as they do not threaten peace and stability.

The Netherlands-based STL is seeking to uncover the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who was killed in a massive suicide truck bombing on Feb. 14, 2005.

In his speech before the confidence vote Thursday, Mikati said his Cabinet would continue to cooperate with the STL which last week issued its long-awaited indictment accusing four members of Hezbollah of involvement in Hariri’s killing.

Mikati joined the Friday prayers led by Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani at Salam Mosque in the Verdun neighborhood before leaving with his family on a vacation to London.

Speaker Nabih Berri also left Beirut Friday for a few days’ vacation. His destination was not immediately known.

Hezbollah’s Agriculture Minister Hussein Haj Hasan said that after winning Parliament’s confidence vote, “this new government will work as a homogenous team to find solutions for the various political, economic and social problems.”

Information Minister Walid Daouk said although Mikati’s speech in Parliament had responded to all questions from March 14 MPS regarding divisive issues such as the STL, Hezbollah’s arms, Lebanon’s relations with Syria and the international community and U.N. resolutions, they were still skeptical of the government’s position.

“The speeches by the opposition MPs and leaders received clear and frank answers, especially with regard to the government’s commitment to follow up the international tribunal’s work with the aim of achieving right and justice … However, unfortunately, some opposition MPs continued to cast doubts about the government’s desire and its clear attitudes and insisted on upholding their opinion,” Daouk told the state-run National News Agency.

“Lebanon’s interest requires the combining of efforts to confront the expected challenges in more than one sphere. The vacuum from which the Lebanese have suffered in the past months was enough. Workshops will be launched at all ministries,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the March 14 coalition will employ all possible means to topple the Mikati government.

“It’s too bad that Lebanon has such a government, which does not represent anything. This government represents everything but Lebanon. It is going to take us back to the era before the 2005 Cedar Revolution,” Geagea said at a dinner in Abu Dhabi Thursday in honor of the Lebanese community in the United Arab Emirates.

“For this reason, we will work with all our strength, using legitimate and democratic means permitted by law, to topple the government,” he said, dismissing Mikati’s Cabinet as being “anti-Lebanon,” “anti-Arab,” “anti-modernization” and “anti-renewal.”

Chouf MP Marwan Hamade said the opposition would use all democratic means to topple the government “because we do not have weapons.”

“Nothing in the policy statement will be achieved except an attempt to thwart right and justice. But in my opinion, the government will fail in this,” the March 14 MP told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.