Crisis of the Government and Naming of Ministers

Some sources warned the forces that the delay in forming the government reflected negatively on Lebanon and all Lebanese. “But what happens is otherwise, where the sticks are put in the wheels of the president-designate’s movement for a simple reason, because he wants to form a balanced government and reflect what the ballot boxes have produced,” Since the end of the parliamentary elections in Lebanon and the naming of Saad Hariri as prime minister, the country is going through a crisis of government and naming of ministers because of political disputes and the demands of some parties for special quotas for them in the ministry. President Saad Hariri is not in a position to engage with any political party, even with those in the position of rivalry with him. He decided not to leave power, and not to risk losing his position, even though no one could replace him. Thus, any bet on a possible disagreement between himself and the President of the Republic is misplaced. He is keen on the settlement, which culminated in the election of General Michel Aoun as head of the republic, and his return to the premiership. Hariri has become the owner of the “keys” of the delicate Lebanese structure, and this is what appeared after he said after his recent visit to the President of the Parliament Nabih Berri, that in this country no one cancels the other…And if we believe that a team will cancel another team or trample on another, the country will not function. “We have all tried in 13 years to do as much as we want, and we and others have failed, and I have faith that the country is run by all sides.”
It is clear that Prime Minister Hariri directs this direct conciliatory language to all parties, hinting that he is rushing the naming of ministers , and has a definite interest in that, contrary to all the analyses which attributed to external and internal factors a big role in pushing him to wait and “take his time” waiting for something. The obstacles facing the President are not few and are the following:

1) The sharp clash between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces, an old dispute since the start of the previous government and the stage of the last parliamentary elections, has led to a discrepancy in the assessment of the political and popular “volumes” and “weights” between the two parties.

2) The Druze representation that Walid Jumblatt insists that the whole brigade is attached to him, for reasons that he considers more than necessary at this stage, as he believes that in possession of all the shareholding the paper of the legislative presence within the Council of Ministers, and provides himself protection from the attack believed to exist by non-Local and external party.

3) Sunni representation Problem. It is natural for the prime minister to be have a full “Sunni” quota for the “Future Movement”, and from this reality he translates this statement in the government to come. The opponents of the Sunnis, which are divided into two groups: the first, and includes independent parliamentary figures. Second, and includes members who sympathize with the forces of the eighth of March. They insist on representing them from the theory that the future government must reflect the results of the parliamentary elections.

There are other forces that have claims and are seeking to hold ministerial seats. This is compounded by the media debates between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party, where verbal interactions with reactive effects are charged with all the factors of tension. The question is: How can Prime Minister Hariri avoid the mines planted on the paths of the new government formation? Can he reconcile the contestants to the “government paradise” without being harmed? There are those who see in the March 8 team that his political movement was more liberal, and the margin of legitimate and desirable maneuvering in such cases is broader before his relationship with Saudi Arabia returns to its former nature Although he was keen to represent the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party in a balanced manner, he would not have insisted on being more open and positive with both Samir Geagea and Walid Jumblatt, had it not been for Saudi Arabia’s desire to have a “Ma’rab” and “AL Mokhtara” “A key position within the government to confront the” Shiite duo”, and by extension” Free Patriotic Movement.” Hariri walks on “eggs”? No! But on “Fire”. Even today, he turns all the data, examines all the formulas, and presents all the possibilities, waiting for “God’s Blessings”, after he realized that patience, is one of the best virtues.

Silence of the Shiite duo

The silence of the Shiite duo has raised many questions about the truth of its position in the government, whether it distanced itself from the process of government formation, which is certain of the size of its representation and its contentiousness, surpassing the logic of the issue, and its insistence on adopting it as a criterion in order to establish the political orientation of national and political action. Hezbollah SecretaryGeneral Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called on some parties to stop blowing up “reluctance” because if some insist on it, the duo deserves more than six ministerial seats. In any case, the information indicates that the latter considers that the President of the Republic is his representative, and that the relationship with Baabda is the best.

It is remarkable that the relationship between President Michel Aoun and the President of the Parliament Nabih Berri has become an excellent and distinct relationship, and it is in a “honeymoon” phase and can not be bet on any dispute between them. This is a time that national and political partners can bridge any discrepancy between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal movement. And that the statements and recent messages addressed by President Berri to all parties involved in the formation of the government, was like a stone moved stagnant water, and the visit of Prime Minister Hariri, and what he did after it, an indication of the return of seriousness to the process of Government formation, which confirms the intention of the Shiite couple to accelerate the birth of the government with no potential slowdown. But there are those who ask a question about the position of the duo from the minister of his Sunni allies, Prince Talal Arslan, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party … Can he stand idly by about the attempts not to represent them in the government?

In any case, President of the Parliament Nabih Berri meets any positive with another positive, and has warned of the slowdown and looming, expressing his annoyance of this slowdown of the new government formation because the interests of the country and people are above all interests. And that the mere visit of the president in charge of it suggests that contacts this time will not be futile, but that it can register progress in the direction of crystallization of the picture, and clarify the scene. And that President Berri is ready to contribute in any effort, if his intervention leads to the purpose of the dissolution of the contract, which was turned even without the birth of the government.

Communications, hacks and expectations

After consultation with the President of the Republic and the meeting of the President of the Parliament, Prime Minister Hariri launched his engines and initiated extensive negotiations. But in relatively different circumstances after the agreement between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces to stop the debates between them at various levels, especially after the direct intervention of the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bishara Boutros-Raya, who recently met with Aoun. Attention will also be focused on addressing the Druze obstacle. There may not be quick results, but things are taking the direction they should have taken had it not been for external developments, and conflicting interests of the parties. The Prime Minister’s position is very embarrassing and difficult in light of all these obstacles and complications, especially since he did not succeed until today and after three months in the birth of the new government and the situation is serious because it reflects negatively on the economic situation and the living of citizens.