Lebanon's President Michel Aoun on Wednesday urged prime minister-designate Saad Hariri to form a government "quickly" or to step aside as the country's economic crisis deepens. "I invite him to the (presidential) palace in Baabda to form the government immediately in agreement with me," Aoun said in a televised address. "But if he is unable to form and lead a government of national salvation to deal with the dangerous situation in the country, he has no choice but to give way to all those who are capable of carrying out this task. "I sincerely appeal to the prime minister-designate to quickly choose one of the two options," Aoun said. Lebanon's deeply divided political class has failed to agree on a new cabinet since a massive explosion in Beirut port last August that killed more than 200 people and led to the government's resignation. Three-time premier Hariri was tasked in October with forming a government, but the process has been delayed by endless haggling between the main ruling parties. Lebanon is in the grips of its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. The Lebanese pound, officially pegged at 1,507 to the US dollar since 1997, has lost almost 90 percent of its value on the black market. It was changing hands for around 14,000 to the dollar on Wednesday. On Wednesday, protesters briefly attempted to storm the economy ministry to denounce exploding prices of basic goods. rb/hj/dv/pjm