Informed political sources explained to "Al-Liwaa" that with the invitation to obligatory parliamentary consultations, a phase of arranging the names nominated for the presidency of the government begins. The parliamentary blocs are heading towards negotiating suggestions, knowing that so far there are no multiple options regarding the nominated names. They noted that in the days leading up to the consultation date next Thursday, communication channels regarding the assignment and formation may open. They mentioned that regardless of the number of votes the person assigned to head the government receives, it cannot be considered non-constitutional, especially if Christian blocs refrain from naming a candidate, recalling that President Najib Mikati did not receive votes from the two blocs of the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces.
Furthermore, they indicated that the schedule for the consultations, which includes the presence of the Change MPs individually, might be framed within the context of independence or freedom of choices, or perhaps a division of opinion, suggesting that some time must be waited for. Political sources considered that the delay by President Michel Aoun in setting the dates for obligatory parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister, for more than a month after the resignation of Mikati's government, without justifications or convincing reasons, raises questions about ambiguous intentions and directions, and fears of constructed obstacles that may hinder the formation of a new government as swiftly as required.
The sources stated that establishing the dates for parliamentary consultations is constitutionally incumbent upon the president, as is the result of the consultations themselves. Therefore, delaying them under the pretext of prior agreement on the name of the person who will be tasked with formation or agreeing on the structure and components of the government, or its program, is unconstitutional since it is not within the president's powers to determine who is named for the presidency of the government. Instead, he must adhere to who the deputies name for the new government, while the responsibility for formation is exclusively entrusted to the Prime Minister based on the constitution.
The sources pointed out that the rumor about the president and his political heir's rejection to reassign Mikati to head the new government, following what was rumored and what Bassil personally announced in this regard, openly indicates that the assignment trajectory will be secure, while the formation of the anticipated government will not be easy, except after responding to the personal demands and conditions of the latter. This means that the process of forming the government will not be smooth and will inevitably enter a cycle of systematic obstruction and delay practiced by the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gibran Bassil, to hinder previous governments or to blackmail their heads to achieve partisan and personal gains.
The sources believed that Bassil's announcement that his bloc would not name Mikati, who leads all the proposed names for the premiership, preemptively indicates that he will put obstacles in the way of formation, thus complicating and making the birth of the new government difficult. This implies that the entire country is heading towards challenging conditions and a vacuum that transcends the premiership, extending to the upcoming presidential elections.
The presidential palace coupled words with action following the conclusion of the visit from the American mediator for border demarcation negotiations, Amos Hochstein, and officially called for obligatory parliamentary consultations to name a prime minister next Thursday, June 23, allowing political forces more room for consultation to achieve the greatest possible consensus on a specific figure. Meanwhile, political sources told "Al-Liwaa" that all names being raised as candidates are not accurate, and those who are serious among certain deputies considering running for the position have little chance, while Najib Mikati remains the leading candidate, even though he may not receive a high percentage of votes similar to that of President Nabih Berri.
