Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s announcement that he was a possible candidate to head a new government has revived the French initiative that came to a halt with PM-designate Mustafa Adib’s stepping down from the job.
The former PM made the announcement during a televised interview on Thursday. Sources from his Mustaqbal Movement, however, explained that he did not present himself as a candidate, rather he said he was a “natural candidate” for the positions seeing as he is the head of an influential parliamentary bloc and leader of a large political party.
They added that Hariri offered a specific plan on how to stop Lebanon’s collapse and revive the French initiative. Now, Lebanon will wait to for the reactions to his proposal to later determine the next step. This includes holding consultations with former prime ministers and talks between the Mustaqbal and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) that will be followed with Hariri kicking off political contacts next week.
Hariri had previously said that he would not nominate himself for the premiership unless conditions he has stipulated are met. Among them are rejecting the appointment of known political figures to his government. Head of the FPM, MP Gebran Bassil, is among the names vetoed by Hariri.
Political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the FPM may reject Hariri’s candidacy if he is still insistent on such a condition.
FPM sources told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We are awaiting the result of the contacts that Hariri will make and see what he is proposing before taking a final position. Perhaps he has something new to offer.”
“When Adib was appointed, we said that we do not want to be represented and that we will not place hurdles. However, what applies to Adib does not apply to Hariri,” they remarked. They added, however, that they will wait and see what Hariri comes up with and whether he will meet with Bassil.
Member of the FPM’s Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc MP Mario Aoun told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Hariri’s proposals appear to have good intentions, but in substance, he does not seem to have radically changed his stances.”
Sources from the “Shiite duo” of Hezbollah and Amal have refused to comment on Hariri’s position, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that they are “leaving room for contacts. We will review the positions of our allies and political forces before making any position.”
The Iran-backed Hezbollah and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement have previously expressed their support for Hariri’s nomination. They also back the formation of a technocratic-political government and are demanding that the finance portfolio be retained by a Shiite figure. It is this insistence, among others, that had scuttled Adib’s efforts to form a new government.
Amid all this speculation, the Mustaqbal sources stressed that Hariri ultimately renominated himself in order to save the country and French initiative.
His proposal is summed up in his demand for returning to the political mechanism that was agreed in September during the meeting at the Pine Residence with French President Emmanuel Macron during his second visit to Beirut.
Hariri has “opened the door wide for committing to the French initiative, its political, reform and economic mechanisms. He is not opening the door for more problems, but paving the way for more solutions by returning to the Pine Residence agreement, forming a government of experts, not partisan figures, and adopting a clear six-month program,” said the sources.