by albawaba.com — Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is expected to begin, Monday the one-day unbinding consultations with the parliamentary blocs and deputies at the parliament in Nejmeh Square, in a bid to form the new government. Media reports said the various political parties are eager for an “expedited” formation of a “national unity government” able of confronting the “danger facing Lebanon’s economic and financial system,” al-Joumhouria daily reported. Although political parties have reportedly shown eagerness to facilitate the formation process, but they have also reflected their demands regarding portfolios and shares in the new Cabinet.

The Progressive Socialist Party (of Walid Jumblat) is demanding the allocation of all three Druze Seats to the PSP, keeping the Lebanese Democratic Party head MP Talal Arslan out of the government. The PSP argue that they have kept a place for Arslan on their electoral list during the parliamentary elections, but he chose instead to strike an alliance with the Free Patriotic Movement. Another obstacle that could be facing the formation is the dispute between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces over the Christian shares and portfolios. Furthermore, the daily said, Hariri “will not enter into details during his consultations so as not to commit himself to anything in advance, but rather to listen more than to talk.” Meanwhile “a kind of resentment is lingering among Sunni circles because of attempts made by Shiite and Christian parties to control the role of the PM-designate. Circles close to Hariri have advised him to draw clear lines for his jurisdictions, mainly that the Sunni situation bears no more jabs particularly after the outcome of the parliamentary election,” according to the daily.

by annahar – Hariri held talks with representatives of the different parliamentary blocs to try and pave the way for a smooth transition into a new Cabinet following the country’s first parliamentary elections in nine years earlier this month. The Free Patriotic Movement and Lebanese Forces have been trading barbs ever since the conclusion of the elections, with Foreign Minister and FPM leader Gebran Bassil demanding that his bloc of 29 MPs be granted a sizable portion of the upcoming Cabinet. Bassil also called for his bloc to be granted either the Ministry of Finance or Interior, which have been reserved for Shiites and Sunnis in recent years. “We have been deprived of being allocated the Interior or Finances Ministries for years,” he said, adding that “it’s about time we get either one.”

The Lebanese Forces, who won 15 seats, have also been asking for a significant chunk of Cabinet posts, a demand that Bassil has constantly rebuked. LF MP Georges Adwan maintained that his party should be represented in the Cabinet similarly to the President’s share, who customarily picks a group of his close allies to prominent posts. He also called for his party and the FPM, the two main Christian parties at the moment to equally share posts “the same way as Amal and Hezbollah share theirs.” Another hindering block to the swift formation of the Cabinet is the tug and pull expected to take place between the two Druze rivals, Walid Jumblatt and Talal Arslan.

MP Arslan has requested that his bloc be allocated at least one Ministry, while Jumblatt, who heads the Progressive Socialist Party, has strongly demanded that his party solely picks the three Druze ministerial posts up for grabs, leaving Arslan out of the equation. The Lebanese Democratic Party leader, however, through his alliance with the FPM, is expected to put up a fierce fight after Bassil turned over three of his MPs to form a bloc led by Arslan. Hezbollah on the other hand, have requested that their party be allocated service ministries. Future Movement leader Saad Hariri retained his post as Lebanon’s premier last week after rallying 111 votes out of 128 from lawmakers across the political spectrum, saying that “everyone is working towards bettering the economy and strengthening state institutions.” Aoun issued a decree Thursday designating the caretaker PM as the new premier, following a day of binding parliamentary consultations.