Reports: Agreements Reached on Some Ministerial Portfolios

The meeting between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati resulted in placing two lists of names for the new government portfolios, according to informed sources.

The sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Tuesday that “the names that have been circulating for some portfolios, especially for the ministries of interior and defense, are not accurate.”

They added that a name that “was not mentioned in ex-PM Saad Hariri’s lineup nor in Miqati's line-up,” was suggested for either the Interior or the Defense portfolio.

“Solutions were reached concerning some of the portfolios that had caused disagreements in the previous meetings,” the report said.

According to the sources, “the Progressive Socialist Party will have the Education portfolio instead of the Social Affairs portfolio that was given to the president,”and “Hizbullah will have the Public Works portfolio instead of the Health portfolio that was given to Miqati.”

The sources stated that “the telecommunications portfolio was proposed to the Marada movement who hasn’t given an answer yet.”

“The Energy portfolio was largely avoided (by all parties) after being ditched by the Free Patriotic Movement,” and “the name of the Minister of Finance has not been decided yet, amid (Speaker Nabih) Berri’s insistence on Youssef Khalil’s name for the portfolio,” the sources also said.

‏Another meeting will be held in the next 24 hours between Aoun and Miqati, according to the report.