Report: Officials Considering Several ‘Proposals’ to End Govt. Stalemate

The delay in lining up a Lebanese government amid wrangling between political parties over Cabinet shares, has called for forwarding several suggestions, some of which are “being considered”, in a bid to solve the stalemates.

Sources following on the formation process told al-Joumhouria daily on Friday that several scenarios have been proposed to agree on the size of representation of the Lebanese Forces, and possibly facilitate other obstacles mainly the Druze share.

“One of the ways out, is to have the same combination in the current caretaker government where political parties will get the same representation size. The suggestion is being considered,” they said.

“Allocating three services portfolios for the Lebanese Forces is another suggestion. But that, the LF has rejected. They also turned down an idea to get three services portfolios plus a minister of state,” added the sources on condition of anonymity.

Assigning four services portfolios for the party has been “implicitly accepted during LF-Hariri (Prime Minister-designate) talks,” they said. However, “it would not include a so-called sovereign portfolio nor a deputy prime minister post.”

Allocating ten ministers as part of the President’s (Michel Aoun) share is another suggestion, but it’s still a “complicated” one in light of his demands to get eleven.

As for the obstacle of the Druze share, the “President still rejects giving Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat the whole three Druze Cabinet seats. He refuses monopolization,” they said.

Another recommendation is to give Jumblat two Druze ministers plus a third Christian minister, which is still under discussion.