The Lebanese Prime Minister-designate, Saad Hariri, confirmed that all options are on the table and that he will not unilaterally make any decision regarding either continuing his task derived from Parliament or stepping down without consulting with the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, the Islamic Sharia Council, and former prime ministers. He reiterated to "Asharq Al-Awsat" his commitment to the Speaker's initiative, which is inspired by the spirit of the rescue initiative proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, aiming to lead the country to salvation from its crises.
Hariri, who participated in the regular meeting of the Sharia Council chaired by the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Drian, described his relationship with Berri as complementary, stating, "Saad Hariri means Nabih Berri, and Nabih Berri means Saad Hariri. The problem lies with those who place obstacles that delay the formation of the government, although President Berri and I have tried to overcome them to achieve progress that can be relied upon to move forward in the formation process."
Mufti Drian and council members unanimously expressed their support for the Prime Minister-designate, rejecting any thought of him stepping down. Hariri noted that he has kept the Sharia Council informed about every detail since the moment he was tasked with forming the government, providing Mufti Drian and council members with details of the obstacles he encountered and continues to face, which later extended to Berri, who is diligently trying to smooth them out, exhibiting flexibility and openness without receiving any response so far, referring to the negativity with which the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, is dealing with his initiative.
Hariri elaborated on his relationship with Berri, stating that Berri is the only person who has stood by him since the beginning of his assignment to form the government; he has never abandoned him, and Hariri has not heard or received reports of any word suggesting Berri has forsaken him. He confirmed that he remains in continuous contact with Berri and plans to meet him soon. He conveyed to several council members that he proposed forming a government of 18 ministers from independent and non-partisan specialists, and later agreed to expand this to a cabinet of 24 ministers, but "someone initiated (in reference to Bassil) further obstacles."
Members of the council quoted Hariri stating that the government could be formed in less than 24 hours "if we decided to accept his conditions, which will not happen because the government will be born paralyzed and incapable of lifting Lebanon from its crises, as it would replicate previous governments and would not be able to correct Lebanon's relations with the international community, which represents a mandatory corridor to obtain financial and economic assistance that secures the country's transition from crisis to recovery."
Council members indicated that Hariri explained the risks threatening and besieging the country, asking, "Where can we go if there are individuals insisting on personal gains at the expense of attempts to save it by forming a government that responds to the roadmap presented by Macron in his rescue initiative." Hariri asserted, as relayed to him, that the country is heading toward collapse, reaching a point of downfall, stating that those hindering the government formation "bet on placing the blame for this collapse on me, thus any delay will incur further damage and costly tolls on the country."
In this context, "Asharq Al-Awsat" learned that no date has been set yet for meetings between the political aides of Berri, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, and the political aide to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hussein Khalil, with Bassil. The reason cited is that such a meeting depends on Bassil's willingness to reconsider his proposals and offer alternatives to those presented in their last meeting, in which he appeared unwilling to find common ground on the unresolved issues still delaying the government's formation.
A source close to the "Shiite duo" revealed that the recent "Bayada meeting" (Bassil's headquarters) did not achieve any progress, and that the positive atmosphere leaked from it does not reflect the reality. Bassil deliberately leaked it to divert attention from the dispute that occurred between him and MP Khalil in the presence of Hussein Khalil and the liaison and coordination officer in Hezbollah, Wafiq Safa, "in an overt attempt to neutralize the Amal Movement and Hezbollah from the disagreements surrounding the government formation, confining it to the Prime Minister-designate."
It was noted that Bassil attempted to "run away forward" by stating that the ball in government formation is now in Hariri's court, prompting the (Shiite duo) to issue a statement, at Berri's request, responding to the accusation that Bassil initiated it. He indicated while bidding farewell to Khalil and Safa that he would not participate in the government, therefore would not grant it confidence, and he was willing to communicate with Aoun to convince him to sign the ministerial formation if it received his approval.
Bassil was questioned about how he insists that Aoun's share should be 8 ministers while refusing to participate in the government and abstaining from granting it confidence, acknowledging that this matter does not meet Hariri's approval. Additionally, Bassil presented a hybrid proposal that would entrust the National Media Council with naming the Christian minister from the two Christian ministers in dispute to occupy the Ministry of Information, while allowing civil movements to name the second minister.
"Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" learned that the Khalils did not engage in discussions with him regarding his proposal on naming the two Christian ministers, under the pretext that Hariri refuses to relinquish his authority and allow Aoun to name them, thus how could Hariri agree, as communicated to him by MP Khalil, to give up on them against his powers. For this reason, the latest Bayada meeting proved unproductive and did not reflect Bassil's desire to relinquish his conditions.
