Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri told Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday that he is optimistic about the formation of the new government, adding that Lebanon is not waiting for progress to be achieved with regard to Saudi-Syrian relations in order to facilitate the new cabinet formation. The daily quoted well informed sources as saying that the Syrian-Saudi contact has developed positively and has had a good impact on the political rhetoric in Lebanon.
The daily added that sources from the loyalty and the opposition blocs have pointed out that Damascus is waiting, in the coming few days, for a Saudi contact to pave the way for the return of delegations to Damascus. The sources added that deliberations over the necessity to achieve a preliminary formula to form the cabinet was still hindering because PM-designate Saad Hariri has decided not to take any step before achieving a Saudi-endorsed understanding, according to the newspaper.

On Hariri’s visit to Syria, al-Akhbar quoted well informed sources as saying that “Hariri has clearly told opposition leaderships that he was ready to visit Syria before forming the new Cabinet that would not include the obstructing third.” The source added that opposition leaderships have told Hariri that it was very hard to make an understanding on his proposal and that “the utmost thing that the opposition can offer is not setting the ‘third-plus-one demand’ as a condition, whether directly or indirectly. In return the opposition would need guarantees that the it would have the third-plus-one veto power whenever voting is needed, which means that the opposition would choose the eleventh minister that might be included in the President’s share of ministers,” the source told Al-Akhbar.

Meanwhile, Assafir daily quoted Hezbollah secretary general’s political advisor Hussein Khalil  as saying that Thursday’s meeting with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was “positive, and the discussions were constructive.”
“The dialogue with Hariri is at its peak,” he said.
Khalil added that Syria and Saudi Arabia support Lebanon, however, he emphasized the importance of reaching domestic consensus, which would be between all Lebanese political parties.