Govt. Formation Negotiations Back to Square One
The strenuous government formation talks appear to have returned to square one following the reported progress of the past few days.
As the Lebanese Forces clings to the justice ministerial portfolio amid the rejection of the Free Patriotic Movement, which says it should be part of the President's share, the Progressive Socialist Party is insisting on keeping the education portfolio, rejecting that it be part of any bargaining.
The Marada Movement is meanwhile stressing that it should keep the public works portfolio.
“The FPM wants the justice portfolio, which further complicates the PM-designate's mission, seeing as there are six significant portfolios other than the sovereign portfolios, whereas seven parties are vying for them, which means that there is a need to deprive a certain party of one of them and compensate it with an important service-related portfolio such as social affairs,” Asharq al-Awsat quoted unnamed sources as saying.
“There will be no meetings in the coming hours or in the weekend between the PM-designate and caretaker Information Minister Melhem Riachi, who is LF leader Samir Geagea's pointman in the negotiations,” the sources added.
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