The “difficult stage” in the cabinet formation process ended, but the “toughest” one just started!
Indeed, and at the time “optimism” finally triumphed over “pessimism” on the eve of May 1, it seemed that the “birth” of the “partnership government” will have to wait for some days more to finalize the “technical” stage represented by “negotiations” over names and portfolios…
Furthermore, “conflicts” emerged between the “allies” and “rivals” over the “type” of the representation in the cabinet given that the majority of political parties are seeking the “sovereign” and “service-oriented” portfolios which is creating “chaos” between the allies, especially within the March 14 bloc.
Lebanese daily An-Nahar said on Thursday that exceptional efforts are being made to choose the ministers ahead of Army Day on August 1. However, the daily emphasized that “the rate of success seems limited” since all political forces want to claim the services portfolios after agreeing on the defense, foreign, interior and finance ministries.
Meanwhile, and although the process of allocation of cabinet portfolios is in its early stages, it is now clear that the president’s share will include Elias Murr as defense minister, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and Adnan al-Sayyed Hussein who will get the Shiite seat. A Sunni minister from the president’s share and a fifth Catholic remain to be chosen.
In terms of wrangling over cabinet portfolios, Lebanese daily As-Safir said PM-designate Saad Hariri is seeking to give his Future movement the telecommunications ministry currently held by Minister Gebran Bassil. But, according to press reports, the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc Michel Aoun has made it clear that he won’t relinquish Bassil.
The biggest conflict seems, however, to be between the so-called “allies.” MP Walid Jumblatt is asking for the public works ministry which the Lebanese Forces is also eying. In this context, Jumblatt told Lebanese daily As-Safir that he did not want the ministry of the displaced and information, adding he has only asked for the public works ministry which was held by Ghazi Aridi in the previous cabinet. “It seems that we are second and even third class citizens and we don’t have the right to any key ministry,” the PSP leader said.
Moreover, the LF and Phalange are asking for two ministers each although there is a tendency by Hariri to give both of them three ministers only.
Aoun is holding onto naming two Maronite ministers and one Catholic, which means that Suleiman Franjieh, who wants the health ministry, has to name an Orthodox minister. The Tashnag, in its turn, would choose the Armenian minister.