Lebanon

Bassil’s Eyes on 3 Ministerial Portfolios

Bassil’s Eyes on 3 Ministerial Portfolios

It seems almost certain, even six days before the mandatory parliamentary consultations to name the Prime Minister scheduled for this Thursday at the Baabda Palace, that this milestone faces unusual political and parliamentary complexities this time. On the surface, it relates to the new composition of the Parliament, while underneath it is about the possibility that any new government, if it comes to life, could form a transitional executive authority to address a potential presidential vacancy and subsequently fill this void, according to "An-Nahar."

It has become clear from some leaks from the meetings and consultations taking place among several political forces and parliamentary blocs that "Thursday of consultations" will not be preceded by a prior endorsement of the name of the designated prime minister. Nevertheless, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati remains the leading name in terms of chances compared to the currently unknown "rivals" in a contest that will witness multiple candidates, reflecting the difficulty of establishing a parliamentary bloc that supports a single candidate. This situation will fragment the options available to the deputies and bring the designated prime minister in with a minimal majority, similar to what occurred in the election of the Speaker of Parliament, with the main difference being the singularity of the candidate for the Speaker’s position, while the nomination in the consultations for the premiership will be pluralistic.

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