Lebanon’s president Michel Aoun has asked Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri to leave space for others IF he is unable to form the next government. In a televised speech, Aoun also invited Hariri to the presidential palace to discuss the possibility of a new cabinet. Hariri was tasked with forming a government for a fourth time in October, one year after he resigned amid mass protests. But he has failed to form the one due to political deadlock between him and President Aoun. The country has been without a government since the previous administration resigned following a devastating Beirut Port blast. Lebanon is in midst of both political and financial crises. People have been staging protests since 2019 as the economy has spiraled, rendering over half the population in poverty, and devaluing the local currency.