Najib Mikati said he hoped to form a neutral, compact government as soon as possible that would meet the approval of all parties and would be able to oversee Lebanon's parliamentary elections on schedule. Mikati, who has support from both opposition members and loyalists, is expected to break six weeks of political impasse by forming a Cabinet capable of gaining a vote of confidence from Parliament. Ever since former Premier Omar Karami resigned on February 28, Lebanon has been operating under an outgoing government.The opposition have showed leniency toward Mikati's appointment in an effort to end the deadlock and open the way for elections. Opposition MP Ghinwa Jalloul said Saturday the opposition was optimistic about Mikati's moves. She added: "The opposition will continue to help facilitate Mikati's goal of ensuring the elections as soon as possible."
However, another opposition MP, Butros Harb, said Sunday that despite reports of the opposition's embrace of Mikati, he himself had not been informed of this development. Harb said Mikati has always been "friends with the Syrians," whom the opposition accuses of having a hand in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. Mikati, 49, who still maintains business ties with Syria, and enjoys a personal relationship with Syrian President Bashar Assad, has gained the acceptance of the anti-Syrian opposition, making the holding of crucial elections on time in May a realistic possibility.