New Majority Leaders to Meet Friday Night after Miqati-Khalils Talks

Premier-designate Najib Miqati held talks Friday afternoon with MP Ali Hassan Khalil, Speaker Nabih Berri’s aide, and Hussein Khalil, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s aide, Al-Manar television reported.

For its part, MTV reported that an agreement has not yet been reached over the sixth Maronite candidate for the new cabinet, noting that discussions were still ongoing concerning several portfolios.

“The lists of candidates published in the newspapers are not accurate and we should not be overly optimistic,” MTV quoted sources as saying.

The TV network quoted Miqati’s circles as saying that “no developments concerning the cabinet formation process are expected to happen before next week.”

Miqati’s circles described as a “trap” the current optimistic expectations in the country regarding the cabinet formation process, saying they were aimed at “hinting that the ball has become in the PM-designate’s court.”

Meanwhile, Al-Jadeed television reported that the new cabinet will not see light before next week, noting that Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan would be offered a state ministry portfolio.

But Salim Hamade, Arslan’s media advisor, told Al-Jadeed that the MP will reject a state ministry portfolio should the news turn out to be true.

The leaders of the new parliamentary majority, meanwhile, were expected to hold a meeting Friday night, OTV reported.