BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati says that his rift with MP Michel Aoun is not personal, An-Nahar reported Tuesday, as efforts begin to resolve the Cabinet crisis.
“I am open to everyone and on a personal level, I don’t have anything against [former] General Michel Aoun or Minister Jibran Bassil or the rest of the Change and Reform bloc ministers,” Mikati told An-Nahar newspaper in an article published Tuesday.
“We are all in the same boat and we need to steer this boat toward stability and work and away from conflicts and tense politics,” he added.
The government crisis erupted last week, when Mikati ended a Cabinet session over differences with Aoun’s minister Jibran Bassil on civil service appointments. The prime minister subsequently decided to suspend all sessions until the government’s cohesiveness is restored.
Both Aoun and Mikati accuse each other of obstructing the work of the government.
Speaking to An-Nahar, Mikati said his decision to suspend Cabinet sessions derives from his sense of national responsibility, reiterating that he does not mix personal matters with politics.
Hezbollah has launched mediation efforts between the rival sides, while Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has held off on doing so at Mikati's request.
Mikati, who is scheduled to leave for France on Friday for a two-day visit, also said that he would resume contacts with President Michel Sleiman and Berri in a bid to formulate a clear vision for the future.