Lebanon

"Attempts at Government Formation" Continued Until Late Night.. But

Sources from "Nidaa Al-Watan" indicated that intermediaries continued their shuttle efforts and communications throughout yesterday in an attempt to finalize the government formation during the last moments of President Aoun's term. It was reported that "government formation offers" continued late into the night between Rabieh and Algeria. The "LBC" channel reported that "the Director General of the Presidency, Antoine Shuqair, proposed to the designated Prime Minister Najib Mikati to issue the government formation as is, without modification, with the matter of gaining confidence being left to a vote in the parliamentary session. However, Mikati rejected the initiative after Shuqair could not guarantee that the National Free Movement deputies would vote in favor of the government."

According to "Al-Joumhouria" from reliable sources, despite the tense atmosphere accompanying the end of President Aoun's term, some intermediaries mobilized for a last attempt to stabilize the Lebanese reality along rational lines, avoiding the country drifting into an unknown situation and political and constitutional turmoil, which could cost Lebanese citizens additional hardships beyond the existing crisis and its burdens. The essence of this attempt was to formulate an agreement on what could be termed a "government of necessity," where each party appears to have made a step towards the other. Should an agreement be reached, there would be an issuance of its decrees before noon yesterday. However, this attempt was short-lived. According to reliable sources, it was nipped in the bud and fell victim to rigid positions and a willingness to confront that seemingly had been pre-determined.

On another note, "Nidaa Al-Watan" pointed out that over the past days, "Hezbollah" was left alone in the field trying to salvage the situation by mediating between Mikati and Bassil to form a government, even through a cesarean operation, but faced significant disappointment. Whenever Bassil agreed to one of its proposals, Mikati contradicted him, and the opposite was also true. "Hezbollah" continued its efforts, insisting to inquirers that there was still time and that the atmosphere suggested positivity until the attempts of political advisor Haj Hussein Khalil and Head of the Liaison and Coordination Unit Wafiq Safa came to a halt, leading "Hezbollah" to turn off its engines regarding the government matter.

To prepare for the coming days and avoid slipping into a crisis that the country is better off without, Haj Hussein Khalil recently visited Mikati, urging him to avoid embarrassing himself and embarrassing them by calling for a government session, promising not to do so unless absolutely necessary.

In their interpretation, "Hezbollah" believes that changes in the calculations of active elements in the government file complicated the situation. Bassil's calculations have shifted, as he now sees his interest in delaying the presidential elections, enhancing his chances for the presidency. His desire to run for president has reached his ally, "Hezbollah." Bassil calculates that delaying the presidential election will improve his conditions and position within the Christian street. The initial serious discussions about the presidency began during the first session held by "Hezbollah" Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah with Bassil, which did not yield the desired results. Such sessions will follow in succession until a divine decision is rendered concerning the presidential matter.

The preliminary analysis, aligning with "Hezbollah," suggests that Bassil has initiated a presidential battle, which he has not yet publicly announced; however, his candidacy is imminent as he acts on this basis. It was facilitated for him by his uncle, former President Michel Aoun, signing the decree to accept the government's resignation and the notion that his election would eliminate the US sanctions imposed on him.

As for "Al-Anbaa Electronic," it indicated that Lebanon has entered a transitional phase that will shape the country's future in the coming years. It was notable what was reported in the last hours of Aoun's term, regarding Mikati's rejection of the Director General of the Presidency's initiative to issue decrees for the current government as is. This confirms that Aoun's step of signing the resignation decree was unsuccessful and yielded no results; it seems that Aoun and his team realized this too late, attempting to sell Lebanese citizens poisoned honey in the final moments after exhausting all previous months in obstruction rather than forming a government to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese.

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