Report: Hariri May Present 24-Minister or Technocrat Govt. after '3 10s' Rejected

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri may present a 24-minister or technocrat government format after his proposal to form a so-called “three tens” government was rejected, a media report said.

“During the latest tripartite meeting in Baabda (between President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and the PM-designate), Hariri suggested to President Aoun the distribution of shares in the government according to the 3x10 formula,” the Central News Agency quoted unnamed sources as saying.

The said formula would distribute the shares in the following manner: ten seats for Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement (3 for president and 7 for FPM), ten seats for Hariri and the Lebanese Forces (6 for Hariri and 4 for LF), and ten seats for Hizbullah, the AMAL Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Marada Movement (3 for Hizbullah, 3 for AMAL, 3 for PSP and 1 for Marada).

The sources noted that such a distribution would not grant any of the three camps a so-called one-third veto power in the Cabinet.

“Hariri hinted that the Druze obstacle could be resolved if he and ex-MP Walid Jumblat reach an agreement on a consensus Druze minister in a manner that would prevent the PSP from withdrawing all Druze ministers from the government in the future,” the sources added.

“He was surprised that the other camp rejected to discuss this formula,” the sources went on to say.

They also noted that continued wrangling could prompt Hariri to propose a “24-minister or technocrat Cabinet.”

Hariri was tasked with forming a new government on May 24. The main obstacle hindering his mission is the political wrangling over Christian and Druze representation.