Consultations for forming the Lebanese government have resumed after a halt due to tensions between caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and "Free Patriotic Movement" leader MP Gibran Bassil. A meeting is expected to take place today between President Michel Aoun and Mikati to continue discussions on the proposed cabinet formation.
Ministerial sources close to the presidency express optimism about the possibility of reaching an agreement on forming the government, "if nothing unforeseen occurs." They attribute this optimism to external pressures, specifically from France, and internal support from Hezbollah to push for the cabinet formation before entering the constitutional period for electing a new president. The sources tell "Asharq Al-Awsat" that Mikati is expected to meet the president today to continue discussions on the ministerial lineup, indicating progress on the option of replacing two ministers: Minister of Economy Amin Salam and Minister of Social Affairs Issam Charafeddine, while adding six non-partisan ministers close to political factions. This shift is seen as a way to secure political cover for the government and its decisions in case Lebanon enters a presidential vacuum, where the cabinet would assume the powers of the presidency as stipulated in the constitution.
In response to inquiries about ensuring political support for the government amid ongoing opposition rejection, particularly from the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, and change MPs, the sources point out that the six ministerial seats are intended for representatives of the political parties currently part of the government and not for those who refuse to join. The president will choose Christian ministers, Mikati will select Sunni ministers, while Walid Jumblatt and Hezbollah and Amal Movement will choose Shiite ministers.
For their part, sources from the Amal Movement urge close attention to the outcomes of today’s meeting between Aoun and Mikati and the potential political positions that may arise, recalling the dispute between MP Gibran Bassil and Mikati and recent information indicating that Bassil's actions disrupted the positive outlook. They note that both Hezbollah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri have offered all necessary facilitation for the cabinet formation and are open to discussions on various proposals, emphasizing that the priority is to save the country and form a government, even if only a day remains of the current term.
The government matter was a significant subject of discussion in the meetings held yesterday by President Michel Aoun. Notably, he met with MP Mohammad Yahya from Akkar, a member of the “Strong Lebanon” bloc (Free Patriotic Movement), whose name had been recently suggested for government participation or to nominate a minister from Akkar. A ministerial source told "Asharq Al-Awsat" that in an attempt to facilitate the formation process, Mikati suggested replacing the Minister of Economy with a representative from Akkar and proposed that President Aoun ask MP Yahya to provide three names for selection in agreement between the two parties. However, this proposal was rejected by Bassil, who argued that Yahya is a member of the bloc but does not represent the Movement or its political stance.
In this context, Yahya stated after his meeting with Aoun that they discussed ongoing communications between the president and Mikati regarding the necessity of completing the government formation in the interest of the country and its people, affirming that he stressed "the importance of representing Akkar in the upcoming government," and he sensed Aoun's interest in Akkar and its people's needs. Former MP Emil Rahme, after meeting Aoun, indicated that he found the president "eager to form a new government in agreement with the prime minister-designate and in accordance with constitutional norms and national partnership, with ongoing and continuous discussions between them expected to continue in the coming hours in hopes of reaching an agreement."
