Recent communications and meetings held over the past few days have failed to advance the government formation file, mainly due to the conditions each party imposes on the other. Gibran Bassil, the son-in-law of the President, insists on his conditions regarding the appointment of Christian ministers by the President and obtaining a blocking third in the process. Meanwhile, the designated Prime Minister Saad Hariri insists on his powers and the formation of a 24-minister government, following the Speaker of the Parliament's initiative.
On Saturday, Saad Hariri is expected to meet with the Grand Mufti of the Republic at the Dar al-Fatwa in the presence of former prime ministers to discuss the powers of the premiership and the necessity of not infringing upon them by obstructers and those manipulating the constitution, according to sources close to Hariri. While some sources mentioned that Hariri might make an important statement during the meeting possibly regarding his apology for forming the government, other political sources dismissed this scenario, especially after Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri intervened and requested a few more days from Hariri to allow for a new wave of negotiations.
Sources close to Hariri indicate that the designated Prime Minister is committed to a balanced government within his powers, which should not be formed by the President's son-in-law or the Baabda Presidential Palace, which hinders solutions. They accuse Michel Aoun of delegating his son-in-law Gibran to negotiate ministerial seats, despite Gibran previously announcing he would not participate in this government and would not grant Hariri confidence.
The governmental paralysis stands in stark contrast to another scene in the streets, where opponents claim that "those forming the government and obstructing its birth seem unconcerned about the systematic humiliation faced by people in front of pharmacies, hospitals, and gas stations, alongside the rising dollar against the crumbling currency."
All indications suggest that the crisis regarding government formation will continue, with statements and counter-statements being exchanged, along with mutual accusations of obstruction from both sides, without reaching a solution that can save the Lebanese people.
