BEIRUT — Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his government's resignation Friday, a move that could deeply destabilize the country at a time when the conflict in neighboring Syria is increasingly spilling across the border.
Mikati's announcement, which was broadcast live on local TV stations, followed a stormy cabinet session in which the militant Shiite group Hezbollah and its allies blocked the formation of a committee to supervise upcoming parliamentary elections and refused to support a term extension for Lebanon's police chief.
Hezbollah not only commands a large, well-trained militia, but is also a key player in Lebanese politics.
"I announce the resignation of the government, hoping that this will open the way for the major political blocs to take responsibility and come together to bring Lebanon out of the unknown," Mikati said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Loading...