Report: Diab Urged to ‘Decelerate’ Formation Efforts

President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri reportedly asked Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab to “decelerate” his efforts to form a new government after “sensing his eagerness to form it within days,” the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Friday.

Sources of the two presidencies told the daily that a number of reasons triggered Aoun and Berri’s request. One of which is that the names proposed in a list presented by Diab to allocate seats in the new cabinet are "unknown" to the two.

Aoun and Berri believe that more “information” is needed about the candidates suggested including their “resume, experience and the quality of specialization,” according to the sources.

They added that Aoun and Berri had asked the PM-designate about the “parties” who insinuated the names he had chosen, and that they were “not convinced with his answer.” They reportedly “agreed with him to discuss the list and proposed portfolios with officials in order to garner the parliament’s confidence in his government.”

The sources said the names suggested to allocate certain ministerial portfolios that circulated in media outlets "led to harsh rhetoric between the affected political parties including Aoun on one hand and outgoing PM Saad Hariri on the other."

Baabda and Ain el-Tineh sources told Asharq al-Awsat that “the agreement is to have a cabinet consisting of 18 cabinet seats, 12 to be allocated for men and 6 for women ministers.”

The names must get the approval of all parties which requires some time, hence Diab’s visit to Ain el-Tineh yesterday, they said.