Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri will submit his government lineup to President Michel Aoun as soon as the Paris-led conference on humanitarian aid to Lebanon concludes on Wednesday, well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The sources noted that Hariri has prepared a proposal for a cabinet of 18 ministers, but would submit it to the president only after the conclusion of the conference, in order to prevent political disputes from disrupting its outcome.
French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to revive an initiative on Lebanon as he hosts an international aid conference on Wednesday. Co-hosted with the United Nations, several heads of state and governments will attend the video conference.
The political sources confirmed that the lineup set by the prime minister-designate would meet the standards requested by Macron in his initiative to save Lebanon and stop its financial and economic collapse.
Underlining Hariri’s commitment to the initiative, the sources said that the lineup would constitute the first test of Aoun’s intentions regarding the government formation.
There are no alternatives to forming a strong cabinet, according to the sources, who warned against a further collapse should the role of the resigned government, led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, be revived.
Whoever promotes such an option already knows that it would drag the country into a constitutional heresy, they noted.
Accordingly, observers are awaiting Aoun’s reaction, especially if the ministerial formation submitted by Hariri caused a positive shock among politicians. Will the president open the door for a calm discussion that paves the way for the formation of the government, or will he push the negotiations back to square one? the sources asked.
