And Al-Nahar wrote: Talking regarding the possibilities of floating attempts to form a new government in the remainder of the mandate of the Aoun era seemed like filling the void, waiting for a party to launch the presidential race and to open up to the West practically, the battle of public nominations that is still raging inside the closed scenes. And if last week’s experience of creating the new government was a renewed failure, with evidence attached to another meeting between President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the available data indicate that the next week will not witness any further development in the government file, but that urgent files will be filled. The internal scene, starting with seeking a compromise solution to the file of the customs dollar, which will not tolerate delay and procrastination, and requires a hurry to determine the financial ceiling that will be established on it. Exacerbating the repercussions of this problem, to which the state revenue file is linked, will also cause further delays in the completion of the draft budget that is supposed to be completed by the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee this week.
However, Prime Minister Najib Mikati does not seem to have closed the door to talking regarding the formation of the new government, as he was quoted as saying that since the first day he was assigned the task of forming a government, he has done “serious work”, and considers that all options are open and that the important thing is to form a government because time no longer allows any luxury. Politics or engage in any skirmishes do not bear fruit. Mikati does not agree with his accusers that he supports maintaining the caretaker, and repeats in his councils that he does not like accepting this phrase and coexisting with it, despite the current government’s fulfillment of the duties required of it. He asserts that he will not fail to form a government and does not, of course, welcome any power vacuum, so what if it is within the scope of the first presidential elections. He says that he is open to all options by adding six ministers or minus six, “and why not if these proposals are within reason.”
As for the storm of the customs dollar, Mikati is quoted in this file that the state is stolen at the rate of the customs dollar at 1500 pounds. And he sends a message to everyone and everyone who is concerned that the state is being stolen one hundred percent and that the citizen is the one who pays the price for this existing reality, which is not in the interest of the Lebanese, and to delude them that the payment is made at a cheap price. In the meantime, it turns out that most parties in the government and outside it know that the current price of the customs dollar is not normal, and the state and its treasury cannot continue in this way. Mikati is scheduled to meet today with the economic bodies that will discuss with him in detail the file of the customs dollar and their perception of the ceiling that should be at the level of 8000 pounds and the goods that it should include.
Nidaa Al-Watan wrote: The raging government clash between Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, is nothing but a direct reflection of the difficult presidential labor. The positive repercussions of the recent Baabda meeting between President Michel Aoun and the designated president. The head of the “National Current” quickly accused Mikati of being behind “these lies, fabrications and fabrications,” directing him directly by linking his change of position regarding authorship or not to the position of those he described as “supporters and guides.” “, which was laid down by the caretaker prime minister in the context of Bassil’s attempt to “avoid his direct responsibility for obstructing the formation of the government,” emphasizing that “all false accusations will not benefit him in anything (…) and he must understand that the government will only be formed with cooperation.” Between the President of the Republic and the President-designate exclusively, and starting from this moment, let Gibran Bassil record himself in the mirror.” And the information obtained from sources closely keeping up with government developments, was reported that “following the last meeting between Aoun and Mikati.” As a result of the efforts made by “Hezbollah” to end the estrangement in the composition consultations, a consensual ground was reached that might be built upon to come up with a solution that would allow the formation of a new government before the end of the reign, and things almost ended with a quick positive result following the president-designate expressed his willingness to turn corners with the President of the Republic. However, the head of the “Free Patriotic Movement” quickly entered the line in a way that brought back the chances of presidential consensus. The sources explained that “Mikati made a concession to Aoun regarding keeping the Ministry of Energy from his share by continuing it in the custody of the current minister, Walid Fayyad, with amendments in return for the two portfolios of economy and the displaced, so that a Sunni minister from Akkar takes over the first and a Druze minister is chosen for the second that does not provoke the president “The Progressive Socialist Party” Walid Jumblatt, and this proposal was accepted by the President of the Republic naming another Christian minister to be added to his share,” noting that despite the continued leaks and negative statements exchanged between Mikati and Basil, “the mediation workers are still striving to bring the views of Baabda closer.” And the Grand Serail, perhaps the attempts of the last quarter of an hour to form a new government will succeed before entering the presidential vacuum.”
Political sources told Al-Liwaa that there is information being circulated regarding the possibility of moving the frozen government file, as a result of pressure to form a government before the parliament turns into an electoral body.
According to the information, this pressure is both internal and external and may result in moving the formation wheel through ideas that have been circulated during the past 48 hours.
One of these ideas is either to proceed with the formula of changing two ministers in the present government, to be named by the President of the Republic, or to return to the old proposal to increase 6 ministers to the current government, who will be ministers of state who will secure political coverage for the government and fortify it to face the expected benefits, the most important of which is the presidential election, which is surrounded by the danger of a vacuum.
Informed sources expected that the picture would crystallize further during an upcoming meeting between President Aoun and Mikati during the next forty-eight hours to reach an understanding on any of the two solutions that can be pursued.
While the sources indicated that the First Presidency continued to promote the formula proposed by President Michel Aoun, which is the formula of the expanded government that includes in its ranks six ministers of state representing the six main sects, as if it is the formula closest to agreement, sources following up on the file of forming the government denied this information, and quoted According to mediators, the formula that Prime Minister-designate Najib included for the ministerial formation that he handed over to the President of the Republic and comprising twenty-four ministers, with a limited amendment in the name of the Ministers of Economy and Refugees, is the formula that the Prime Minister adheres to, and the most widely circulated among the concerned parties, contrary to all that is rumored in this regard. The dispute currently remaining is over the two names proposed to take over the economic and refugee portfolios, and who should name them, following the attempts of the first presidency emerged to name them, while Mikati rejects that and insists that their nominations be through consultation and not limited to the first presidency as some promote.
The sources expected that the two formulas proposed would increase, and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Representative Gibran Bassil, would attempt to derail the ongoing consultations and contacts to complete the ministerial formation, and obstruct reaching a final agreement between the two presidencies, if he did not have the upper hand in the formation process, and to obtain what is promoted by a weighty share in the ministries. For the current, or the so-called blocking third, in order to be able to achieve the required political and sectarian balance, to assume the duties of the President of the Republic in the event that the presidential elections do not take place on time.
The current attempt to bring the government file back to the table is facing pressures from Bassil not only targeting the movement of the designated president, but also the parliament’s presidency, Hezbollah, and the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, without naming them directly.
A source close to Hezbollah told Al-Bina that President Mikati had contacted Hezbollah and put it in the atmosphere of what happened since Wednesday followingnoon, suggesting that the party would be on the line to find appropriate solutions.
Sources familiar with the government consultations expected Asharq Al-Awsat to “record developments in terms of authorship, which we hope will be positive, especially since there is a movement of contacts in this context between the concerned parties.” Portfolios to the government, close to political parties but not partisan, to form a political cover for the technocratic government, especially if a presidential vacuum occurs. While the sources do not hide Mikati’s previous rejection of this proposition, she says: “I put it back on the table today in the new talks. Perhaps it will be a solution if the option to keep the current government as it is with some amendments fails, especially since by adding these ministers it is possible to satisfy the various parties.” ». The sources explained, “The problem of keeping the government as it is while changing two ministers, namely the Minister of Economy and Social Affairs, according to the formation that Mikati presented to the President of the Republic, will require a broader change in the other ministers in terms of their sectarian, partisan and even regional affiliations to establish the required balance, which would appear New disagreements.
