Sources involved in the formation process revealed to "Al-Joumhouria" that, "Aside from the formal parliamentary consultations that Mikati began with the MPs yesterday, several consultations and communications took place in the past 24 hours related to the formation process, with the prime minister-designate being present in them." According to the same sources, the main focus of these discussions is to expedite the formation of the government, without complicating the prime minister's mission with conditions and ideas that hinder his efforts and confuse the formation process. Instead, there should be all possible facilitation to accelerate the birth of the government. The sources pointed out that "there is no disagreement on the mission of the government, while the shape of this government is something the prime minister-designate has in mind, which will be clarified very soon. There are various formats being discussed in closed sessions, and accordingly, a draft of the government could be ready within a few days for the prime minister-designate to present it to the president for issuing the new government decrees."
However, political sources talked about difficulties the prime minister-designate faces in overcoming complications related to certain ministries, especially concerning the Ministry of Energy and Water and the party that will be assigned it. The prime minister-designate seems to be in favor of "liberating" this ministry and removing it from the deadlock it has been in for many years, knowing that the Ministry of Energy has been "allocated" for years to the president's team, whether to a minister from his political movement or to a minister personally appointed by the president. According to this team's atmosphere, they will not relinquish control over the Ministry of Energy, as well as the ministries of Defense and Justice in particular.
The same sources also point to a "second and fundamental obstacle" related to the Ministry of Finance, where it does not appear that the duo of "Amal" and "Hezbollah" is willing to give up the financial portfolio, which they claim rightfully belongs to the Shiite community. This issue, combined with the presidential team's unwillingness to relinquish certain ministries including energy, has led to rising objections from political figures and spiritual references rejecting the monopolization of certain ministries by a particular group or sect.
These "two obstacles," the sources say, "may be joined by a third obstacle related to the representation size of some parties, which may prolong discussions during a phase constrained by time. The length of this discussion will automatically extend the duration of the mandate and the caretaker government until a moment when the presidential entitlement itself imposes itself as a primary item on the country’s agenda, making the formation of the government a lesser priority."
In a related context, government sources disclosed to "Al-Joumhouria" that after the second round of parliamentary consultations today, a meeting will soon take place between the president and the prime minister-designate to discuss parliamentary ideas and proposals, followed by a second meeting to discuss a governmental draft that Mikati may present to Aoun possibly before the end of this week. The prime minister-designate conducted a first round of non-binding consultations with parliamentary blocs and trends in the parliament yesterday, which will continue in a second round today. Sources familiar with the consultations summarized their proceedings, stating to "Al-Joumhouria" that "the atmosphere was calm and normal, focusing on the specifications that the new government should meet."
The sources indicated that "the prime minister-designate was open to any ideas or parliamentary proposals, and he took care to document them, showing a clear desire to form a government for all with the widest possible participation to meet the country’s needs for such a government in a situation that requires all parties to unite and collaborate in addressing the crisis and alleviating the burdens on the Lebanese people, thus fully cooperating in everything that pushes Lebanon out of the abyss and brings it closer to the path of salvation."
The sources also pointed out that those who nominated Mikati during the consultations emphasized the need for accelerated formation, but some of them demanded to be included in the government, asking for two or three ministers, while other blocs were decisive in their unwillingness to participate, such as the "Lebanese Forces," as well as the Change MPs who consider Mikati and his intended government an extension of the authority responsible for the crisis. Also, the Democratic Gathering decided not to participate directly but expressed its readiness to facilitate the government's formation, a stance it adopted in the formation of the previous government, ultimately leading to its participation with two Druze ministers nominated by Walid Jumblatt.
