Reports: Govt. Obstacles Resolved, Line-Up to be Announced Friday

The last obstacle impeding the formation of the new government was resolved Wednesday evening with the agreement of Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil to a solution under which Demianos Qattar will be allotted the labor portfolio, LBCI TV said.

“The government is expected to be announced on Friday,” the TV network added.

Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab will meet Thursday in Ain el-Tineh to “discuss the draft line-up and finalize the names of the Shiite ministers,” LBCI said.

According to the TV network, the line-up comprises 18 ministers including four women.

“The Shiite duo was given five portfolios after merging the agriculture portfolio with the culture or information portfolio, knowing that (Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid) Jumblat will not take part and will not grant confidence to the government,” LBCI added.

The sovereign ministers will be Ghazi Wazni for the finance portfolio, Nassif Hitti for the foreign affairs portfolio, Talal al-Ladqi for the interior portfolio and Michel Menassa for the defense portfolio and the deputy PM post.

President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement will meanwhile get the energy portfolio (Raimond Ghajar), economy (a person from the Haddad family), justice (Marie-Claude Najem) and environment (Manal Musallem).

The Marada Movement will meanwhile get the public works portfolio (Lamia Yammine Doueihi) while the Tashnag Party will be allocated the tourism and culture portfolio or the tourism and information portfolio.

Diab will meanwhile name the Sunni ministers (Talal al-Ladqi for the interior portfolio, Talal Hawat for telecommunications and Tarek Majzoub for the sport and youth portfolio).