Lebanese former Prime Minister Saad Hariri will choose on Sunday his candidate for the position of prime minister ahead of Monday’s binding parliamentary consultations at the presidential palace.
He will name the candidate during the consultations.
Informed political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the issue of the government has been decided and all that remains are procedural matters.”
“Hariri has remained insistent on his rejection of his appointment as PM-designate,” they added.
March 8 camp sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hariri informed parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday that he will name his candidate for the premiership hours before the consultations.
Sources close to Hariri stressed that the former PM will inform President Michel Aoun of his choice during the consultations, not before, in line with the constitution.
Local media have speculated that Hariri has chosen a figure from the northern city of Tripoli. The figure will be a first-time candidate for the post.
Former minister Rashid Derbas ruled himself out of the running, telling local media that he was never approached with the issue.
The “Shiite duo” of the Hezbollah party and Berri’s Amal movement, along with the Marada movement and other lawmakers, are still demanding that Hariri be tasked with heading the new cabinet. They cited his international connections and the world’s assistance to Lebanon in wake of the devastating August 4 Beirut port blast.
Berri will accept a candidate proposed by Hariri if the former PM insists on remaining out of the race.
Local circles said the formation of the government will be facilitated so that it can focus on saving Lebanon and its floundering economy. It will not be a heavily political cabinet and will not include provocative figures. Rather, the government will be protected politically and it will have an either political or techno-political identity.
On allegations that Hezbollah will not be represented in the new government as part of such so-called facilitations and in line with international demands, informed sources denied the claims, saying the party will name its ministers.
