Report: Govt. to be formed on Oct. 26 or 27

Hezbollah is pressing PM-designate Najib Mikati and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil to form a government before the end of President Michel Aoun’s term, sources informed on the negotiations said.

“Aoun and Bassil were in favor of keeping the current government while changing all the Christian ministers who are part of the president’s share, but Mikati refused that, which led to a solution under which three Christian ministers would be changed in return for the three Muslim ministers that Mikati intends to change,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Thursday.

“Should no sudden developments happen, the government will be formed on October 26 or 27 and the vote of confidence in it will be held at a later time, likely after the end of the term of President Michel Aoun, who will not preside over the government’s first meeting contrary to usual,” the sources added.

A meeting had been held Wednesday between Bassil, General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and Hezbollah coordination and liaison officer Wafiq Safa to discuss the possibility of forming a government before the end of Aoun’s term.

Sources close to Bassil meanwhile told Asharq al-Awsat that Aoun “will not accept less than changing three ministers and will not accept changing incumbent Energy Minister Walid Fayyad, who is not on good terms with Mikati.”

According to media reports, the three Christian ministers who will most likely be changed are Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Administrative Development Minister Najla Riachi and Tourism Minister Walid Nassar.

The sources also threw the ball in Mikati’s court.

“Is he convinced that the FPM will let him rule with a resigned government that would assume the president’s powers? Mikati will not be able to do that and the Christian ministers in the resigned government cannot stay in it should that happen, which would strip his government of (confessional) conformity to the National Pact,” the sources warned.