Berri Meets Aoun, Says Consultations to Pick PM to be Held Thursday

Binding parliamentary consultations to choose a new premier will kick off on Thursday, Speaker Nabih Berri said.

“Together with the deputy speaker and the members of the parliament bureau, we came here to take the blessing of President Michel Aoun, in line with protocol,” Berri said after meeting Aoun in Baabda, flanked by Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli and MP Marwan Hamadeh.

“After consulting with President Aoun, it has been decided to speed up the binding parliamentary consultations as much as possible and to begin them tomorrow,” Berri added.

Asked about his relation with Aoun, the Speaker quipped: “Permanent love, God willing.”

The National News Agency meanwhile reported that the “single-day consultations” will be held Thursday in Baabda from 10:00 am until the Ramadan iftar time in the evening.

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri is widely expected to be renamed premier in Thursday's consultations.

A statement issued by the presidency said the consultations will start at 10:00 am and end shortly after 5:00 pm according to the below schedule:

- 10:00 am: Caretaker PM Hariri

- 10:15 am: Ex-PM Najib Miqati

- 10:30 am: Ex-PM Tammam Salam

- 10:45 am: Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli

- 11:00 am: Al-Mustaqbal bloc

- 11:15 am: Strong Lebanon coalition which comprises the Free Patriotic Movement's MPs, the Armenian MPs bloc, the Mount Lebanon Guarantee bloc (Talal Arslan, Cesar Abi Khalil, Mario Aoun and Farid al-Bustani), and Independence Movement leader MP Michel Mouawad

- 11:45 am: Loyalty to Resistance bloc

- 12:00 pm: National Coalition bloc (Farid al-Khazen, Tony Franjieh, Faisal Karami, Estephan Douaihi, Fayez Ghosn, Mustafa al-Husseini and Jihad al-Samad)

- 12:15 pm: Democratic Gathering bloc

- 12:30 pm: Miqati-led 'Independent Center' bloc

- 12:45 pm: Social National bloc (SSNP)

- 2:30 pm: Strong Republic bloc (LF)

- 2:45 pm: Kataeb Party bloc

- 3:10 pm: MP Michel Murr

- 3:20 pm: MP Fouad Makhzoumi

- 3:30 pm: MP Edie Demerjian

- 3:40 pm: MP Osama Saad

- 3:50 pm: MP Jamil al-Sayyed

- 4:10 pm: MP Adnan Traboulsi

- 4:20 pm: MP Abdul Rahim Mrad

- 4:30 pm: MP Paula Yacoubian

- 5:00 pm: Development and Liberation bloc