Miqati to Meet Aoun Wednesday as President Rejects Economy Pick

W460

Despite the reported consensus on most ministerial portfolios and candidates, an unknown hurdle prevented PM-designate Najib Miqati from visiting Baabda on Monday, amid reports of an expected visit on Wednesday, a media report said on Tuesday.

President Michel Aoun has meanwhile rejected the candidate proposed by Miqati for the economy portfolio, demanding a substitution, al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

“General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim headed yesterday morning to the Baabda Palace, carrying a host of names proposed by the PM-designate for consultations. The only objection from Aoun was over the candidate proposed for the economy ministry, who is Haneen Sayed, the Lead Social Protection, Jobs and Gender Specialist at the World Bank for the MENA Region,” the daily said.

“But the rejection of Sayed’s candidacy will not block the government and the solution lies in replacing her with another candidate,” a-Akhbar quoted its sources as saying.

Sources close to Miqati meanwhile denied that the PM-designate is awaiting a Saudi green light or the approval of the club of ex-PMs, noting that “there are no key obstacles except for the fact that Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil is raising the ceiling of his demands to push the Americans and French to negotiate with him.”

Comments 2
Thumb thepatriot 07 September 2021, 18:57

Can Aoun do that?
It is supposed to be consultations.
But Aoun is insisting on forming the government.
WTF?

Thumb i.report 07 September 2021, 23:05

Why isn’t the parliament revising the constitution already? Just remove the “consultation” with the president paragraph . Khalas, enough is enough!