Najib Mikati
Encyclopedia
Najib Azmi Mikati (born 24 November 1955) is a Lebanese
politician, billionaire and is the current Prime Minister of Lebanon since 13 June 2011. From April 2005 to July 2005 he was Prime Minister of Lebanon
in a caretaker government
. On January 25, 2011, Mikati was nominated to serve as Prime Minister by a majority of the votes in the parliamentary consultations
following the 12 January fall of the Lebanese government of November 2009
. The government was formed in June, after many delays.
in 1980 with a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) degree. He also attended a summer school program held at Harvard and the prestigious French business school INSEAD
.
estimated his wealth at $2.8 billion, making him the 409th richest person in the world.
in 2000, outpolling Omar Karami
, who was elected from the same multimember constituency. As a parliamentarian, he retained his cabinet position and developed a reputation as a moderately pro-Syria
n politician with a normal relationship with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
He was a perennial candidate for Lebanon's Prime Ministry since 2000, finally taking the office upon the resignation of Omar Karami on 13 April 2005.
He is the leader of the solidarity bloc which has had two seats in the Lebanese parliament since 2004.
He also created the centrist movement and ideology in Lebanon and the Arab world, for which he has held many international conferences in Lebanon.
on 14 February 2005, won him the support of the anti-Syrian opposition, against the strongly pro-Syrian Minister of Defence, Abdul Rahim Mourad
. "We will be the symbol of moderation and national unity," Mikati declared after being sworn in at the Presidential palace
in Baabda
.
He was appointed Prime Minister by President Émile Lahoud
on 15 April 2005, to succeed Omar Karami
, who gave up after seven weeks of frustrated efforts to form a consensus government
and resigned
. He held office for three months, handing over on 19 July to Fouad Siniora
.
, which were scheduled to be held by 31 May 2005. Constitutionally
, a government must be in place to call for an election, and opposition politicians had accused President Lahoud and former Prime Minister Karami of stalling the formation of a government in order to thwart the elections, which anti-Syrian parties believed they could win. Mikati's government succeeded in organizing the election, that saw the opposition, that was now known as the 14 March Movement, win 72 out of the 128 seats in the National Assembly.
nominated Mikati to become prime minister and succeed Saad Hariri
, whose government was brought down by the resignation of 10 of the alliance's ministers, and one presidential appointee, on 12 January 2011. It was a result of the collapse of the Saudi-Syrian initiative to reach a compromise on the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
.
On 25 January 2011, the Parliament of Lebanon
voted on his nomination with 68 MP's nominating Mikati for Prime Minister. President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman
then nominated Mikati to head a new Lebanese government. On 13 June 2011, Mikati became the Prime Minister of Lebanon for the second time and is in the process of forming a new thirty member cabinet.
On 13 June 2011, Mikati announced the formation of the government and said that they would go to work "liberating land that remains under the occupation of the Israeli enemy".
Prime Minster Najib Mikati is currently the President of the 66th UN Security Council Session.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
politician, billionaire and is the current Prime Minister of Lebanon since 13 June 2011. From April 2005 to July 2005 he was Prime Minister of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in a caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
. On January 25, 2011, Mikati was nominated to serve as Prime Minister by a majority of the votes in the parliamentary consultations
Parliament of Lebanon
The Parliament of Lebanon is the national parliament of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year terms in multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's diverse Christian and Muslim denominations. Lebanon has universal adult suffrage...
following the 12 January fall of the Lebanese government of November 2009
Lebanese government of November 2009
In November 2009, after five months of negotiations following the 2009 parliamentary elections, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri formed a national unity government.-Method:...
. The government was formed in June, after many delays.
Early life
Mikati graduated from the American University of BeirutAmerican University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
in 1980 with a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) degree. He also attended a summer school program held at Harvard and the prestigious French business school INSEAD
INSEAD
INSEAD is an international graduate business school and research institution. It has campuses in Europe , Asia , and the Middle East , as well as a research center in Israel...
.
Business career
He co-founded the telecommunications company Investcom with his brother Taha in 1982. He sold the company in June 2006 to South Africa's MTN Group for $5.5 billion. In 2011, ForbesForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
estimated his wealth at $2.8 billion, making him the 409th richest person in the world.
Political career
After being appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Public Works and Transport on 4 December 1998, he was elected to the National Assembly from his hometown of TripoliTripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
in 2000, outpolling Omar Karami
Omar Karami
Omar Abdul Hamid Karami was the Prime Minister of Lebanon on two separate occasions...
, who was elected from the same multimember constituency. As a parliamentarian, he retained his cabinet position and developed a reputation as a moderately pro-Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n politician with a normal relationship with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
He was a perennial candidate for Lebanon's Prime Ministry since 2000, finally taking the office upon the resignation of Omar Karami on 13 April 2005.
He is the leader of the solidarity bloc which has had two seats in the Lebanese parliament since 2004.
He also created the centrist movement and ideology in Lebanon and the Arab world, for which he has held many international conferences in Lebanon.
First prime ministership
In the negotiations to form a government, Mikati emerged as a consensus candidate. Despite his closeness to Syria, his willingness to compromise and his promise to dismiss the chiefs of the security forces, whom many Lebanese suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik HaririRafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
on 14 February 2005, won him the support of the anti-Syrian opposition, against the strongly pro-Syrian Minister of Defence, Abdul Rahim Mourad
Abdul Rahim Mourad
Abdul Rahim Mourad is a former Defense Minister to Lebanon, and former minister of Education and Higher Studies. He is also the founder of Lebanese International University.Place and date of birth: Bekaa valley 17/10/1942...
. "We will be the symbol of moderation and national unity," Mikati declared after being sworn in at the Presidential palace
Baabda Palace
Baabda Palace is the official residence of the President of Lebanon. It is situated on a hill in the mountain town of Baabda overlooking Beirut. It is surrounded by the Ministry of Defence and various military posts...
in Baabda
Baabda
Baabda is the capital city of Baabda District as well as the capital of Mount Lebanon Governorate, western Lebanon. Baabda was the capital city of the autonomous Ottoman Mount Lebanon....
.
He was appointed Prime Minister by President Émile Lahoud
Émile Lahoud
General Émile Jamil Lahoud is a former President of Lebanon. Lahoud is a Maronite-Catholic, as is required for the Lebanese presidency. Under Lebanon's unwritten constitutional agreement, the National Pact, the presidency is earmarked for Maronite_Catholic, the parliament speaker's post for a Shia...
on 15 April 2005, to succeed Omar Karami
Omar Karami
Omar Abdul Hamid Karami was the Prime Minister of Lebanon on two separate occasions...
, who gave up after seven weeks of frustrated efforts to form a consensus government
Consensus government
Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
and resigned
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
. He held office for three months, handing over on 19 July to Fouad Siniora
Fouad Siniora
Fuad Siniora is a Lebanese politician, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon, a position he held from 19 July 2005 to May 25, 2008 the date of the election of the new President of Lebanon; he was renominated to the post on 28 May 2008 and held the post as Acting President between those...
.
Resignation
Mikati's immediate priority was to prepare Lebanon for crucial parliamentary electionsElections in Lebanon
Elections in Lebanon gives information on election and election results in Lebanon.- Parliamentary electoral system :Lebanon's national legislature is called the Assembly of Representatives...
, which were scheduled to be held by 31 May 2005. Constitutionally
Constitution of Lebanon
The Constitution of Lebanon was adopted on 23 May 1926.The most recent amendment of the Constitution was for the Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation , in October, 1989....
, a government must be in place to call for an election, and opposition politicians had accused President Lahoud and former Prime Minister Karami of stalling the formation of a government in order to thwart the elections, which anti-Syrian parties believed they could win. Mikati's government succeeded in organizing the election, that saw the opposition, that was now known as the 14 March Movement, win 72 out of the 128 seats in the National Assembly.
Second prime ministership
On 24 January 2011, the March 8 allianceMarch 8 Alliance
The March 8 Alliance is a coalition of various political parties in Lebanon. It has been the ruling coalition since January 25, 2011 when the alliance managed to nominate Najib Mikati as the new prime minister.-History:...
nominated Mikati to become prime minister and succeed Saad Hariri
Saad Hariri
Saad-eddine Rafiq Al-Hariri is a Saudi-Lebanese billionaire who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2009 until 2011. He is the second son of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2005...
, whose government was brought down by the resignation of 10 of the alliance's ministers, and one presidential appointee, on 12 January 2011. It was a result of the collapse of the Saudi-Syrian initiative to reach a compromise on the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Special Tribunal for Lebanon
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an international tribunal for the prosecution under Lebanese law of those responsible for the assassination of Rafic Hariri on February 14, 2005. The tribunal also has jurisdiction over a series of other attacks in Lebanon if they are proven to be connected...
.
On 25 January 2011, the Parliament of Lebanon
Parliament of Lebanon
The Parliament of Lebanon is the national parliament of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year terms in multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's diverse Christian and Muslim denominations. Lebanon has universal adult suffrage...
voted on his nomination with 68 MP's nominating Mikati for Prime Minister. President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman
Michel Suleiman
Michel Suleiman or Sleiman is the President of Lebanon. Before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. After LAF commander Émile Lahoud took office as president in November of 1998, Suleiman succeeded him, taking his place in December...
then nominated Mikati to head a new Lebanese government. On 13 June 2011, Mikati became the Prime Minister of Lebanon for the second time and is in the process of forming a new thirty member cabinet.
On 13 June 2011, Mikati announced the formation of the government and said that they would go to work "liberating land that remains under the occupation of the Israeli enemy".
Prime Minster Najib Mikati is currently the President of the 66th UN Security Council Session.