Reports: U.S. Sanctions, Iran Interests Played Role in Delaying Govt.
The recent U.S. sanctions on two former Lebanese ministers and Iran’s alleged desire to delay the formation of a new government in Lebanon until after the U.S. elections have played a role in impeding the cabinet formation process, according to media reports.
Hizbullah and Amal Movement’s current stubbornness can be linked to “two issues: the first is domestic and related to placing Speaker Nabih Berri’s political aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil on the U.S. sanctions list,” informed sources told the Anbaa newspaper of the Progressive Socialist Party in remarks published Sunday.
“The second issue is that Iran is seeking to delay the government’s formation until after the U.S. elections, which are scheduled for November 3, in order to know who will reign over the White House: Donald Trump or Joe Biden. It will then accordingly deal with the Lebanese file,” the sources added.
And Lebanon’s ex-PMs continue to cling to their stance on the finance portfolio, MP Nicolas Nahas of ex-PM Najib Miqati’s bloc told Anbaa that “things were much better than now at the beginning of the week.”
“Optimism that the government’s formation was nearing was very clear,” Nahas added.
“Miqati is not at ease over the course of things but he is still hoping for good developments after the contacts that were carried out by the French president,” the lawmaker went on to say.
MP Mario Aoun of the Strong Lebanon bloc meanwhile told Anbaa that “nothing changed after the French presidency stepped into the mediation efforts.”
“The stances are still unchanged, amid intensive contacts behind the scenes,” he said.
Ain el-Tineh sources meanwhile said negotiations are still underway over the finance portfolio, while noting that Berri “has not yet been informed of anything in this regard -- neither from the PM-designate nor from the French side.”
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/275106 |