September 25, 2022

It is expected that Presidents Michel Aoun and Najib Mikati will resume their consultations on forming a government tomorrow, Tuesday, amid assessments also by addressing the existing differences over the necessary amendments to the current government formation to endorse a new government by changing two or three ministers.

Sources following up on the governmental issue told Al-Liwaa: The trend is positive towards the formation of the government and things are almost mature, but still uncertainty surrounds the ministers who will be changed.

She added: The formation of the government will certainly precede Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s invitation to the presidential election session, to give a positive and reassuring signal to the continuation and regularity of work in all state institutions in the event of a delay in the election of the president.

Well-informed political sources made it clear to the “Liwaa” that all the talk that is being circulated regarding the decision to switch ministerial portfolios remains just deliberation, awaiting what is decided by the President of the Republic meeting with the President-designate.

The sources said that the issue of an orphaned cabinet reshuffle may be attached to the current government, which has not yet been smashed, in light of the failure to submit proposals for the alternative minister, which is meant by the Druze minister from the Democratic Party’s share.

And it considered that the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister-designate would not accept to give up their share without a certain balance, but the file of forming the government is entering a new stage and may be resolved positively, unless something unthinkable happens.

Political sources said that the path of forming the new government is on track, as a result of the contacts and efforts made by Hezbollah with President Aoun and MP Gibran Bassil on the one hand, and with the designated president and his supporter, President Nabih Berri, on the other hand, during which the dispute between the two parties was narrowed to a minimum. But the remaining point of contention is still regarding who names the few ministers, or even the two alternative ministers, the Minister of the Displaced and the Minister of Economy, following he left the decision on this dispute to the two presidents personally following Mikati returned from abroad.

The sources indicated that the discrepancy over this remaining problem will not lead to disruption of the formation of the new government, even if Bassil seeks by promoting the replacement of other ministers whose names are not up for change, or leaking new names to minister in the floating government, to confuse the designated president and try to blackmail him, before His expected meeting with the President of the Republic in the middle of this week following the completion of the approval of the draft general budget expected today or tomorrow at the latest