Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is seriously thinking about returning to the Grand Serail where he would assume his responsibilities as head
of a caretaker government.
Hariri’s expected decision reflects pessimism regarding the possibility of introducing a certain breach in the near future to the cabinet formation process. However, it reasserts the PM’s authorities in dealing with the current developments.
Meanwhile, the suggestion of caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil to form a majoritarian cabinet seemed directed to parties that disagree with the FPM leader concerning the distribution of
ministerial shares, particularly the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party.
Few days ago, the caretaker minister threatened to form “a de-facto or majoritarian Cabinet.”
Reports revealed that Bassil refuses to offer the LF more than 3 ministers and to limit the Druze representation in the cabinet with the Democratic Gathering bloc of Leader Walid Jumblatt.
However, concerned parties agree that Bassil is incapable to apply his choices for several reasons, mainly that Hariri, who repeatedly called for a national unity cabinet, is the person responsible to form the government.
“Hariri will not bend to the pressures,” an informed source told Lebanon’s Central News Agency on Monday. Sources from the LF and the PSP agreed on Monday that Bassil’s comments could only be described as “inapplicable” and is only considered an attempt to lift the ceiling of demands and to violate the PM-designate authorities.
PSP sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Bassil’s words are not up for discussion and were not constitutional. “They act as if they are in the position of taking decisions,” the sources said.
LF sources said it was impossible to form a majoritarian cabinet because the parliamentary elections were not conducted on the basis of a majority and a minority or on lists supporting or opposition the term of President Michel Aoun.
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