Date: May 29, 2018 Source: The Daily Star Hariri upbeat on Cabinet despite rush on portfolios Joseph Haboush| The Daily Star BEIRUT: In line with recent stances taken by top Lebanese officials, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri struck an upbeat tone Monday on the prospect of a speedy formation of a government representative of the country’s various components. But after MPs and parliamentary blocs emerged from the day’s meetings with Hariri, they showed the first definitive signs of a significant divide over the allocation of ministries. After the consultations, Hariri told reporters that there was a willingness to cooperate to “facilitate” and “accelerate” formation of the government because of the regional and economic challenges facing Lebanon. “Everyone wants to work to improve the economy and the state institutions,” he said. Echoing comments he made last week after being tapped to head the new Cabinet, Hariri called for a “national entente government” in order to “fortify our internal arena in the face of the regional and economic challenges.” Hariri noted that the most serious problem in Lebanon is the economic situation, saying, “We must do our best because there is a real chance to get out of this suffocating situation, thanks to the CEDRE conference and the reforms that we have to take to reduce corruption and waste in the country. I am very optimistic and I thank everyone for the cooperation they have shown today.” Addressing the ambitions of the various parliamentary blocs, Hariri said it was normal for each side to present their visions for the government. “Each party raised their ceiling [of demands] to reach a place where [we can] negotiate,” he said, noting his belief that everyone wants to get results quickly. “Nothing is hindering us,” he said. Hariri added that the share of ministers traditionally designated by the president and the prime minister would not impair a new government’s formation. “We are able to reach agreements. In my opinion, no one wants to put sticks in the wheels, so we must agree as soon as possible,” he said. As for how big the new Cabinet might be, Hariri said some advised a government of 30 or 32 ministers, while some proposed as few as a 10- or 16-member Cabinet. “But that does not mean that it will happen,” he added. Political sources told The Daily Star that an agreement in principle has been reached for a Cabinet of 32 ministers, with all blocs represented including minorities. It is expected that under this agreement there will be eight ministers of state, and for representation of the Druze sect to include MP Talal Arslan.The key portfolios – the Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs and Finance ministries – are set to be divided among the Future Movement, Amal Movement, Free Patriotic Movement and President Michel Aoun. The sources also said there have been no major political obstacles so far, and expect that even the most difficult hurdles should be resolved quickly. They attributed this to the consensus between Aoun, Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri. The ministerial statement on the next government’s mission is expected to be similar to that of the current caretaker Cabinet but is not set in stone. “We have to build on the positives ... in my opinion, we can form the government as rapidly as possible,” Hariri said. But one notable bump in the road Monday was the latest episode in a Druze rift between PSP leader Walid Joumblatt and Arslan. Speaking to local channel Al-Jadeed, PSP MP Wael Abu Faour repeated previous comments that the PSP is the “true Druze representation in Parliament.” After meeting with Hariri, Arslan spoke of his insistence on being granted a ministry for a Druze politician of his backing. “We are two blocs in the mountains ... and this is our right,” Arslan said, referring to the PSP and his Lebanese Democratic Gathering bloc, and the Druze heartland in a mountainous region in the country. Joumblatt later took to Twitter, employing his trademark sarcasm and littering the post with references to various parliamentary blocs by the names adopted during the recent elections. “It’s part of the long tradition in the process of forming [governments] to add the share of the president, his son-in-law and [the son-in-law’s] brother-in-law – the Strong Lebanon and Strong Republic [respectively], and the evil eye charm, the Reconciliation, independent centrists, Marada, Heart of Decision, Liberation, Loyalty, the Guarantee, Baabda Unity, Armenian MPs and Kataeb. Forgive me if I forgot anyone,” he tweeted, appearing to disparage a practice in Lebanese politics of attempting to take all voices into account when forming a government. Meanwhile, MP Gebran Bassil requested that his 29-member bloc be granted either the Interior or the Finance portfolio. “We have been deprived of being allotted the Finance or Interior ministries for years,” Bassil said. “It is about time our bloc be granted either one.” Bassil voiced opposition to the practice of allotting certain portfolios to specific sects, saying no party should have a monopoly over a ministry. Bassil called for key ministries to also be rotated between smaller sects, such as the Alawite, Druze, Catholic and other Christian minorities. “It is time to address these sects and tell them they are not marginalized, and [they] too have the right to be represented in the government,” Bassil said. Shortly after, speaking on behalf the Lebanese Forces-backed Strong Republic bloc, MP George Adwan said the bloc should be represented in the Cabinet as part of Aoun’s share of ministries. The president is customarily given the right to nominate ministers close to him to Cabinet roles. “We are part of the president’s share, based on the role we [the LF] played in his election,” Adwan said, in reference to the agreement signed between the LF and the FPM that resulted in the election of Aoun – the FPM’s head at that time – as president in 2016. Adwan added the bloc had discussed with Hariri “the standards that will be adopted in the formation of the government,” with regard to the distribution of portfolios and ministries. He reiterated the party’s request that the two main Christian parties – the LF and FPM – be represented in the Cabinet in much the same way as the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and Amal share representation. The LF and the FPM have recently scuffled over their respective shares in government, with the FPM insisting that representation in Cabinet should reflect the size of the bloc. While the FPM secured 29-member bloc at the parliamentary elections, the LF has 15 MPs – up from eight LF representatives in the previous Parliament. – Additional reporting by Hasan Lakkis