The newspaper Al-Akhbar reported today that "a significant development has occurred regarding the government formation; President Michel Aoun informed the Director-General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, that he would limit himself to naming five ministers in addition to a minister from the Tashnag party, in a government comprised of 18 ministers. Thus, Aoun has removed the pretext of the 'blocking third' that Saad Hariri has been using to justify not forming a government. Aoun insisted, however, on obtaining the Interior Ministry, while the Justice Ministry was not assigned to him, according to the formation previously proposed by Hariri. For his part, MP Gebran Bassil did not object to Aoun's proposal but informed Ibrahim that he would not grant the government his confidence. According to sources, the surprise was that Hariri rejected Aoun's proposal."
The newspaper cited informed sources stating that "Saad Hariri's recent conduct has clearly indicated that he does not want to form a government before gaining Saudi approval, which does not seem to be forthcoming, as evidenced by the liquidation of his bankrupt companies in Saudi Arabia." It added: "Lebanese visitors relayed that the Saudi ambassador in Beirut, Walid Bukhari, stated that it is impossible for his country to accept a government headed by Hariri while Hezbollah is represented in it. Bukhari mentioned that this is a 'precondition' before Hariri's reception in Saudi Arabia." Al-Akhbar continued: "According to sources, Hariri's current performance resembles someone saying 'keep this cup away from me,' and that all his foreign visits under the guise of securing donations for COVID-19 vaccines or seeking assistance for Lebanon once the government is formed are attempts to mediate with foreign Arab leaders to arrange a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has so far refused to meet him. While waiting, he continues to procrastinate and throws the ball of governmental paralysis into the court of the President of the Republic, stating, 'Whatever you give him won’t form... and that’s the first point.' In this 'wasted time,' he tries to move forward by proposing government formations that include suggestions across four categories: ministries, sects, names, and who will name them. However, when it comes to the portfolios assigned to Christians, he limits himself to just two categories: ministries and sects, without providing names or who will nominate them. For instance, he proposes assigning the 'Interior' to a Christian minister but refrains from mentioning who will name him, whether it is him, the president, the Marada party, or any other party... and so on. According to the same sources, even when the French and Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi asked him to propose a complete formation, he did not provide a clear answer. Numerous attempts by the French to arrange a meeting with MP Gebran Bassil have been avoided under 'unexplained pretexts.'"
The newspaper noted that former MP Walid Jumblatt announced yesterday that he does not insist on an 18-minister government, indicating that he no longer opposes limiting Druze representation to his bloc. Jumblatt linked his stance to internal developments he perceives as signs of impending social chaos. It quoted close sources to Jumblatt noting that his statement "does not rely on new developments concerning the government." It emphasized that "Jumblatt was alarmed by the scene of chaos in the streets, which led him to propose this course of action as a way out of the crisis without coordinating with anyone, fully aware that this stance would upset Hariri and Berri."
