Despite early predictions that an agreement on the cabinet formation would be made within the coming week or so, political leaders in Lebanon are curbing their earlier optimism.

Following his Change and Reform bloc meeting Wednesday night, MP Michel Aoun said that he postponed discussing the issue of cabinet formation until next week, citing “too much US, French, Saudi and Syrian interference in this process at the time being.”

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, the man spearheading the efforts to pull a new cabinet together, is also taking a brief break from negotiations within Lebanon, leaving the country and heading to Jeddah with former MP Bassem Sabeh yesterday, pro-opposition daily As-Safir reported, apparently to “be briefed by Saudi leaders on the results of the consultations they held this week in Damascus.”

The paper reported that a Saudi delegation will head to Damascus before the end of the current week to convey Hariri’s and the Saudis’ answers to Syria’s conditions.

As-Safir’s correspondent in Damascus quoted official Syrian sources as saying that Syria is looking forward to the formation of a national unity government in Lebanon that is “able to act without hindrance.”

As far as the progress made so far, An-Nahar reported that the 15-10-5 cabinet formula – in which 15 ministers are given to the majority, 10 to the opposition and five to the president – remains the most probable option.
 
A source told An-Nahar that communications are underway between all parties to face obstacles in order to agree on a consensus cabinet. However, “communications have not yet reached any common ground,” the daily read.

Preliminary information has it that the opposition wants one of the five key portfolios, while the Amal Movement and Hezbollah would get to keep the Foreign Ministry. Also, “all parties are convinced that the president should maintain the Defense and Interior ministries, while the majority gets the Finance portfolio,” An-Nahar reported.

-NOW Staff