Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has refused to be held responsible for the delay in the formation of the new government, urging all parties to be “humble” and make some sacrifices for the benefit of the country and the Lebanese people. In a chat with reporters before chairing the meeting of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, Hariri said on Tuesday that he was in contact with all parties even if he did not meet with all of them. Asked if the current crisis is the result of acting Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil’s alleged moves to launch an early presidential race, Hariri said: "For me there is a President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and let no one anticipate things." On whether the cabinet formation problem was caused by Aoun referring Hariri to Bassil for a deal on shares, the PM-designate said: "No one refers me to anyone. I am the prime minister, I form the government and talk to all parties. “Each party has demands and I am working on forming a national consensus government," he reiterated. In response to a question about him not meeting with Bassil, Hariri said: “I may call him and invite him to visit me but I have not sensed anything new so far. I know the stance of the President and the Free Patriotic Movement” led by Bassil. “Everyone should care about the economic situation,” he stressed. As for the new US sanctions on Iran and their impact on the formation of the government, Hariri said: "We are in contact with Hezbollah, they want to form a government, and everyone wants a government." Iran is Hezbollah’s main backer. Hariri denied any external meddling to prevent the formation of the cabinet: "On the contrary, there is a push from abroad to stabilize Lebanon. We noticed how many officials have visited Lebanon and contacted President Aoun and me, urging us to form the government.” “The international community is keen on the formation of the government and the implementation of the decisions of the CEDRE Conference. Arab as well as Western countries are keen on stability in Lebanon because the challenges we face, both economically and regionally, are serious." At the CEDRE conference held in Paris last April, Lebanon garnered billions of dollars to help the country’s economy.