Draft Govt. Line-Up Emerges as Hariri Prepares to Meet Aoun

A draft cabinet line-up that PM-designate Saad Hariri is supposed to present to President Michel Aoun has emerged.

Hariri wants “a specialist, non-political and nonpartisan government that Lebanon needs in this period,” sources close to him told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Tuesday.

Sources close to Aoun meanwhile said that the president “will reject any cabinet line-up presented by Hariri without consultations with him, regardless of the names it may contain.”

“There are standards that are supposed to be unified, which must be fully respected in the cabinet formation process,” the pro-Aoun sources added.

According to political sources, the draft line-up does not include a one-third veto power for any party and is based on the line-up that was devised during the formation of Mustafa Adib’s government prior to his resignation.

“It contains a host of candidates who enjoy remarkable expertise and competency and Hariri assumes that it will enjoy the approval of all parties,” the sources said.

Below are some of the names:

- Joe Saddi (Energy, backed by Paris)

- Carole Khouzani (Justice)

- Leen Tahineh (Culture)

- Salim Michel Edde

- Charles al-Hajj

- Youssef Khalil or Wael al-Zein (Finance)

- Firass Abiad (Health)

- Abbas al-Halabi (Education)

- Retired Brig. Gen. Jamil Gemayel (Defense)

- Brig. Gen. Jean Salloum or Brig. Gen. Nicolas Haber (Interior)