Report: Aoun-Hariri to Hold ‘Decisive’ Meeting on Govt Formation
The controversial formation of a new cabinet in Lebanon reportedly hinges on a meeting expected on Wednesday afternoon between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Saad Hariri, after a series of meetings that failed to make progress, media reports said Wednesday.
Hariri and Aoun had met Monday after a three-week paused contact over the issue.
Al-Joumhouria daily said that “Moscow has advised officials in Lebanon not to waste more opportunities, and to embark on forming a government to address the worsening economic crisis in the country.”
Diplomatic sources told the daily that “Moscow has been informed about the insistence of Aoun and head of the Free Patriotic Movement Jebran Bassil on naming seven ministers in the new cabinet.”
According to sources following closely on the formation file, the meeting at Baabda today “will not lead to the desired result because Hariri won’t accept that suggestion.”
Al-Jadeed TV reported earlier that high-level French mediation is seeking pacification between Aoun and Hariri.
It said Paris is seeking "prior agreement" between the two men over the Christian share in the new cabinet ahead of Hariri's scheduled visit to Baabda.
09 December 2020, 11:13
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"It said Paris is seeking "prior agreement" between the two men over the Christian share in the new cabinet ahead of Hariri's scheduled visit to Baabda."
This is grossly misleading. This is not about Christian share in the government because everybody knows the Christian share in Parliament and in any Government is 50% in accordance with the Constitution.
However, this is all about Aoun/FPM share in the proposed government. Bassil is insisting on having 1/3 veto power in the proposed lineup which gives him a controlling upper hand in the affairs of the cabinet and specifically at the end of Aoun's term.
