Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is expected to end his silence and meet with President Michel Aoun despite his proposal for a greater role for the caretaker cabinet in dealing with Lebanon’s economic situation.
Hariri is expected to visit Aoun at Baabda Palace early next week as part of his efforts to form a new government and to end the deadlock which was further complicated by the president’s proposal.
Aoun’s call was made during an extraordinary meeting of the Higher Defense Council that he chaired at Baabda Palace on Thursday.
“The current situation in the country is an extraordinary situation that requires an extraordinary follow-up and taking decisions to deal with this delicate situation,” he said.
The cabinet “is serving in a caretaker capacity. But the current circumstances require some expansion of the caretaker work in order to meet the needs of the country and citizens until a new government is formed,” he added.
But Asharq Al-Awsat learned that former prime ministers Fouad Saniora and Tammam Salam met with Hariri on Friday night to discuss Aoun’s proposal. Ex-PM Najib Miqati did not attend the meeting for being abroad.
Although the talks were held in secret away from the media spotlight, the conferees agreed that it was important for Hariri to resume his task in forming a government of experts based on an initiative launched by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Well-informed political sources said Hariri has no interest in the stalemate after he took upon himself to implement the French initiative to prevent Lebanon’s financial and economic collapse.
The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hariri has come up with a lineup of 18 ministers that he is set to propose to Aoun.
The PM-designate has also decided to avoid a dispute with the president over his proposal to expand the role of the caretaker cabinet, although Hariri has agreed with Saniora and Salam that such a move would violate the constitution.
Hariri has avoided to make a public response in order not to stir sectarian tensions, the sources added.
