Cabinet Deal in the Works … Possible Government Made from Blend of Technocrats, Top Leaders
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is now negotiating a Cabinet deal apparently based on a consensus government made from technocrats or a combination of technocrats and top Lebanese leaders.
Hariri, who announced Thursday that he will kick off meetings with leaders of parliamentary blocs to speed up government formation, met overnight with head of the Democratic Gathering bloc Walid Jumblat who was accompanied by Cabinet ministers Ghazi Aridi and Wael Abu Faour.
Hariri was set to meet head of the Change and Reform bloc Michel Aoun on Tuesday.
Sources from the Free Patriotic Movement told the daily Al-Liwaa in remarks published Friday that Hariri and Aoun are likely to hold a meeting over lunch before week”s end to discuss details of a Cabinet lineup, including names and distribution of portfolios.
An-Nahar newspaper, for its part, said talks between Hariri and legislators over the past week focused on several Cabinet deals, including one made of technocrats only and another made from a blend of technocrats and top political leaders.
It said both deals were being considered by Aoun and Hariri, who tends, however, to favor a national unity government.
Hariri is set to resume talks on Friday with no specific schedule. His meetings will include Speaker Nabih Berri, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea as well as Hizbulla leader Sayyed Hassan Nasralla”s political aide Hussein Khalil.
As-Safir daily, meanwhile, said Hariri is likely to present a comprehensive Cabinet makeup to President Michel Suleiman before the end of this week.