No Government Breakthrough Expected before Year's End

The new government will not be formed in the remaining days of 2018 according to media reports.

In remarks to Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, informed sources ruled out “any breakthrough before the beginning of next year.”

“Initiatives and contacts among the concerned parties are nearly suspended,” the sources added.

A dispute over the political affiliation of Sunni candidate Jawad Adra has torpedoed the latest attempt to resolve the government deadlock.

Adra had been initially nominated as a consensus candidate representing both President Michel Aoun and the Consultative Gathering – a grouping of six pro-Hizbullah Sunni MPs – but the Gathering later withdrew its endorsement of Adra after ambiguity surfaced over his future political alignment.