Report: Lebanon Puts Finishing Touches on Govt. Format, Devising Policy Statement Next Step
Lebanon’s political parties have reportedly overcome the obstacles that delayed the government formation for around seven months, amid expectations it would be formed on Friday evening or Saturday at most, Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Friday.
After months long discussions over the distribution of portfolios and shares, discussions will now move to the government's policy statement “which will include controversial items difficult to ensure political consensus around, mainy Hizbullah’s weapons and Lebanon’s relation with Syria,” the newspaper reported.
Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly “advised that a brief, implicit ministerial statement be devised to override or neutralize controversial items, and to avoid wasting time on promises that remain mere ink on paper.”
On the eve of the “proclamation of the government decrees from Baabda,” sources of the presidential palace asserted to Asharq al-Awsat that “things are more than well. Communications are positively open between the various parties, especially with the deputies of the Consultative Gathering MPs who accepted Jawad Adra, as the name chosen by President Aoun.”
“All indicators show that the decrees could be issued Friday evening, unless it was necessary to postpone them until Saturday,” they added.
On the divisions between the MPs over naming Adra, MP Qassem Hashem of the Consultative Gathering told the daily: “The disagreement has been solved and naming Adra has been approved by all the deputies,” he said, noting that they still have to agree on what portfolio to give him.
Efforts have accelerated in the past few days to end a months long impasse that delayed Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s mission to form a cabinet since May 24.
Source: Naharnet
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