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Lebanon’s Hariri Makes New Proposals to End Cabinet Stalemate

A woman and her daughter pass by a poster of outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A woman and her daughter pass by a poster of outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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Lebanon’s Hariri Makes New Proposals to End Cabinet Stalemate

A woman and her daughter pass by a poster of outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A woman and her daughter pass by a poster of outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is planning on making new “proposals” to the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party in an attempt to break a monthslong deadlock in forming the government, informed political sources said.

The latest development came after Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who on Wednesday discussed the stalemate with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace, quoted the president as saying that Hariri will present a cabinet lineup within the next two days.

“I felt that the president is optimistic,” said al-Rahi.

This comes as Hariri met Wednesday night with LF chief Samir Geagea at the Center House in Beirut. It is believed that the PM-designate made a proposal to give the party three main portfolios, including the education ministry.

But informed sources expected Geagea to reject the proposal by claiming “it does not go in tandem with the LF’s representation” in the parliament.

The cabinet deadlock revolves mainly around demands made by Walid Jumblat’s PSP and the LF, which have been dubbed as the problems of the Druze and Christian representation in the new government.

Hariri has limited choices with regards to the LF representation. Aoun is holding onto the positions of the deputy prime minister and the defense ministry, while Jebran Bassil, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement that has been founded by the president, has rejected to give the LF a cabinet seat from the FPM’s share.

As for the Druze representation, Jumblat is asking for all three cabinet seats designated for his sect, while the FPM wants to grant its ally Druze MP Talal Arslan a share in the government.

Sources close to Jumblat told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that the PSP leader hasn’t yet received any proposal regarding his party’s representation in the government.

“There are currently no contacts with the PSP,” they said.

However, Hariri plans to meet separately with Bassil and Jumblat.

Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri warned that he would call for parliamentary sessions if the government was not formed soon.

During his weekly meeting with lawmakers at his Ain al-Tineh residence, Berri reiterated the need to form a national unity cabinet.

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Top US Officials in Damascus to Meet New Syrian Rulers, State Department Says

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
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Top US Officials in Damascus to Meet New Syrian Rulers, State Department Says

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Department spokesperson said, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syria's de-facto new rulers.
The State Department's top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Advisor Daniel Rubinstein, who is now tasked with leading the Department's Syria engagement, are the first US diplomats to travel to Damascus since Syria's opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.
The visit comes as Western governments are gradually opening channels to HTS and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, and start debating whether or not to remove the terrorist designation on the group. The US delegation's travel follows contacts with France and Britain in recent days.
In their meetings, the US officials will discuss with HTS representatives a set of principles such as inclusivity and respect for the rights of minorities that Washington wants included in Syria's political transition, the spokesperson said.
The delegation will also work to obtain new information about US journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, and other American citizens who went missing during the Assad regime.
"They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them," the department spokesperson said.
"They also plan to meet with representatives of HTS to discuss transition principles endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan," the spokesperson said.
The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria and shut down its embassy in Damascus in 2012.
In a seismic moment for the Middle East, Syrian opposition factions seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family's decades-long rule.
The lightning offensive raised questions over whether the opposition will be able to ensure an orderly transition.
Forces under the command of al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - replaced the Assad family rule with a three-month transitional government that had been ruling an opposition enclave in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
US President Joe Biden and his top aides described the overthrow of Assad as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people who have for decades lived under his oppressive rule, but also warned the country faced a period of risk and uncertainty.
Washington remains concerned that extremist group ISIS could seize the moment to resurrect and also wants to avoid any clashes in the country's northeast between Türkiye-backed opposition factions and US-allied Kurdish militia.