Report: France Connecting with Divided Lebanon Parties to Help Pick New PM

Intense political contacts in the last hours in search of a political understanding to assign a Sunni figure to head Lebanon’s new government early next week at the latest, have not reached a satisfactory result, media reports said on Friday.

Quoting sources of the Free Patriotic Movement led-Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc, the daily said that French officials have been communicating with various political parties urging them to swiftly name a new PM before Monday.

Strong Lebanon bloc sources of MP Jebran Bassil, said the bloc has one of three “scenarios” to agree to:

-Naming ex-PM Saad Hariri as the new PM after Bassil’s approval.

-That Hariri himself nominates a figure for the post garnering the political parties' approval, mainly the FPM.

-Hold binding parliamentary consultations without any prior agreement, on condition that the vote's outcome is respected even if it returns Hariri to the post without the FPM’s approval.

Meanwhile, LBCI TV station reported that contacts in that regard have also distanced former Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations, Nawaf Salam, from the candidacy race in light of Hizbullah’s rejection.

The Shiite duo, Hizbullah and AMAL party led by Speaker Nabih Berri, press for Hariri’s return as PM.

But Hariri declared Tuesday that he is not a candidate for the PM post and called on all political forces to withdraw his name from any deliberations in this regard.

The Saudi Asharq el-Awsat newspaper quoted FPM chief Jabran Bassil as saying that his talks with Berri on Sunday focused on “the need to expedite the formation of an effective and productive government that adheres to a reform program with specific parameters and goals without any conditions or obstacles being encountered in the talks."

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Forces insist on forming a “neutral” government.

LF Former Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani stressed that Lebanon’s experience with a unified government is useless. An independent and inclusive government is required,” he said.

President Michel Aoun has not yet set a date for the binding parliamentary consultations.