Hariri Meets Aoun amid Reports of Near-Final Agreement on Govt.

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Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri held a new meeting Tuesday with President Michel Aoun as media reports said a near-final agreement has been reached on the shape of the new government.

"President Aoun met PM-designate Hariri and discussed with him the governmental situation in an atmosphere of understanding on the progress that has so far been made," the Presidency said in a tweet.

Al-Jadeed TV meanwhile said that "a near-final agreement has been reached on a 20-minister government."

"The rotation of portfolios will involve the various portfolios except for the finance portfolio, and accordingly Hizbullah is willing to give up the health portfolio," al-Jadeed said.

"Hariri presented a roadmap and the discussions are now revolving on the allocation of portfolios to sects. Based on everyone's acceptance of the rotation of portfolios, the Sunni sect will get the foreign affairs portfolio instead of the interior portfolio," the TV network added.

It had earlier reported that Hariri would submit a draft cabinet line-up to Aoun during the meeting.

Hariri will later “propose a host of names for the political forces to choose from and these name will not be provocative to anyone, because they are supposed to win parliament’s confidence,” the TV network said.

SourceNaharnet
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