Hussein Dakroub – The Daily Star
French President Emmanuel Macron called Tuesday for the quick formation of a new Lebanese government as an essential move to implement reforms demanded by the CEDRE conference to bolster the country’s sluggish economy.
A similar appeal was made by British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling after a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri, reflecting the international community’s growing concern about the delay in the Cabinet formation, which has entered its seventh month of deadlock.
This came as caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil resumed his shuttle diplomacy aimed at resolving the problem of representing six Hezbollah-backed Sunni lawmakers in the new government, which has held up the Cabinet formation since last month.
Bassil, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, met with Berri Tuesday, presenting him with what he called “three practical ideas” to resolve the problem.
He had met Monday with MP Abdel-Rahim Mrad, one of the six Sunni MPs not affiliated with the Future Movement, who are demanding to be represented in the next Cabinet.
Bassil is expected to meet with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, who has staunchly rejected the six MPs’ demand, to discuss with him new proposals to break the impasse.
Speaking to visitors at his Ain al-Tineh residence, Berri said Bassil presented “a host of ideas that were discussed, along with their positive and negative aspects.”
“The discussions ended up with three ideas that can be built on to achieve the desired result,” Berri said, adding that these ideas need to be discussed by Bassil with President Michel Aoun, Hariri and the six Sunni MPs.
However, neither Berri nor Bassil gave details of the new ideas.
Berri said he hoped Bassil’s “good intention and serious desire” would lead to a solution to the problem.
He added that Bassil hoped that his flurry of activity would lead to the Cabinet formation before the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Yet, the speaker said he could not predict when the new government would be formed because Bassil’s ideas faced “a big difficulty” unless all the parties concerned with the last stumbling block made concessions to facilitate the Cabinet formation.
Berri said he would definitely interfere to help in the process “when there are certain positive steps.”
Bassil said he discussed with Berri for the first time practical solutions to the government formation impasse.“I discussed three ideas with Speaker Berri, but what is important is agreeing on the principles, then we can discuss all the ideas,” Bassil told reporters.
The FPM leader stressed that the Cabinet formation must be based on justice in order for the new government to be “productive” and resolve the problems of the Lebanese. “We cannot form a government against the others’ will or rejecting the others. There should be mutual acceptance and consensus.
“That’s why it is called a national unity government in which the majority and minority are represented according to fair criteria,” Bassil said.
Earlier in the day, the British ambassador to Lebanon discussed the Cabinet formation deadlock and regional issues with Berri.
“I was glad with the talks I held with Speaker Berri. We discussed regional issues. I said we are hoping for the formation of the Lebanese government as soon as possible,” Rampling said.
In a letter to Aoun on the 75th anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence Day celebrated last week, Macron reiterated “France’s commitment to supporting Lebanon and its unique model [of coexistence] in the face of major challenges it is encountering and its adherence to [Lebanon’s] unity, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability.”
Macron underscored the “importance of Lebanon adopting a dissociation policy toward regional conflicts so that it can stay away from rivalry among regional powers and to begin necessary reforms to revitalize its economy,” according to the letter released by Aoun’s media office.
Expressing his satisfaction with Lebanon’s smooth parliamentary elections held on May 6, the French president said: “It is important for Lebanon to be able to form a new national unity government as soon as possible.”
Macron, whose country hosted the CEDRE conference in April to shore up Lebanon’s weak economy, is scheduled to visit Beirut in February.
He stressed the need to implement recommendations made earlier this year at three international conferences in support of Lebanon, especially economic reforms.
“I strongly maintain that the recommendations of these conferences be implemented, especially the economic reforms that were pledged at the CEDRE conference held in Paris on April 6 at France’s initiative and in supporting the Lebanese security forces,” Macron said.
The CEDRE conference raised over $11 billion in grants and soft loans to finance investment and infrastructure projects in Lebanon.
In return, Lebanon pledged to carry out structural reforms to revitalize the weak economy. However, the implementation of the reforms remains contingent on the formation of a new government.
Former MP Walid Joumblatt, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, renewed his call for a compromise over the Cabinet stalemate.
Taking an indirect swipe at Hezbollah, which has insisted that the six lawmakers be represented in the next government, Joumblatt tweeted: “Our partner in the nation, along with its allies, is like a robot that has, unfortunately, no feelings or awareness of anything, even if the issue led to an economic deterioration.”
Meanwhile, the Future Movement’s parliamentary bloc called on all parties to respect the Constitution in the government formation and condemned “defamation campaigns” against Hariri and former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“The bloc insists on the respect of the Constitution in forming the government, and condemns in the strongest terms the suspicious campaign against the prime minister-designate and the deliberate offense of the premiership.
“It calls on all political parties to return to the principles of the formation of governments and stop suspicious attempts to besiege the constitutional powers of the President and the prime minister-designate,” a statement issued after the bloc’s weekly meeting chaired by MP Bahia Hariri said.
“Otherwise, we will remain in the vicious circle and the obstacles will remain the responsibility of the party that invented them.”
The Future Movement bloc condemned the “campaigns of defamation and offense” against Rafik Hariri and Saad Hariri, and considered them similar to previous campaigns that the Lebanese know well, and have lived through since the mid-nineties.
Future supporters blocked with burning tires some main roads in west Beirut Tuesday night, expressing outrage after Tawhid Party leader Wiam Wahhab made insulting remarks against Hariri during a TV talk show.
