Hariri-Aoun Meeting: What”s Really Going On
Did Cabinet formation reach the final stage? Despite ongoing talks to remove the obstacle – telecoms ministry — facing the birth of a new government, reports uncovered that consensus has been reached between Speaker Nabih Berri and PM-designate Saad Hariri over names and portfolios and that there is also an agreement between Hariri and Hizbullah.
A meeting late Saturday between Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who insists on the reappointment of his son-in-law Jebran Bassil as telecommunications minister, did not reveal details.
The daily An-Nahar, however, described as "good and positive" the atmosphere that prevailed during the Hariri-Aoun talks held in the garden of Center House.
While As-Safir daily saw that the facts do not bode news of an imminent announcement of a new government, pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper was less pessimistic.
It quoted well-informed sources as saying that behind-the-scenes talks between the two men "are not what are being published by the media."
The source said actual facts indicate that ongoing political maneuvers have most likely entered the final stages.