Lebanon appointed Saad Hariri, the prime minister. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa (Photo from Marwan Naamani/Picture Alliance from Getty Images)
- Since taking office in October last year, Saad al-Hariri has been arguing with President Michel Aoun.
- In the past few months, Al-Hariri submitted multiple proposals to Aoun, but they failed to agree on the list.
- The proposal is aimed at 24 professional technocratic ministers.
Lebanese Prime Minister-elect Saad Hariri submitted a new cabinet proposal to President Michel Aoun and said that he is waiting for his response on Thursday, which may end the country’s nine economic collapse Month deadlock.
In the past few months, veteran Sunni politician Hariri made a number of suggestions to Aoun, an ally of Shia Hezbollah backed by Iran, but they failed to agree on a list.
“Now is a critical moment,” Hariri, who has been arguing with Aoun over the appointment of ministers since his appointment in October, told reporters after Wednesday’s meeting.
Aoun said in a statement that he will study the proposal, which contains “previously agreed new names and new distributions of portfolios and denominations” to make a decision.
The proposal is aimed at 24 expert technocratic ministers and is in line with a French initiative that envisages a government capable of implementing reforms to release much-needed foreign aid to save the country.
The previous proposal was also aimed at teams of technical experts belonging to different sects. It is not clear how the specific new lineup will be different, or what will happen if Aoun refuses.
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However, Wednesday’s proposal is seen as Hariri’s last attempt to form a cabinet because it is widely expected that he will give up his efforts after going to Egypt, a longtime supporter.
The Saudi-owned Al Hadath TV station earlier quoted its own sources to report that Cairo had asked him not to step down.
Sources in Cairo said that Egypt has pledged to provide economic and political support for the new government, and the delegation will travel to Beirut soon.
If the cabinet is rejected and Hariri withdraws, the country will have to find another Sunni willing to succeed him.
Under the sectarian power-sharing system, the Lebanese president must be a Maronite Christian, and the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim. With less than a year before the expected parliamentary elections, few people are willing to come forward.
Since the explosion in the Beirut port on August 4 killed more than 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed most of the city, Lebanon has not had a government.
The stalemate deepened the financial crisis and was called one of the worst depressions in modern history by the World Bank.
“For me, this government can start to save the country and prevent collapse,” Hariri said.
