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Formally, it can be said that the deadline given by French President Emmanuel Macron on September 1, for his initiative in Lebanon to form a government, is about to end about two weeks after President Michel Aoun appointed Prime Minister Mostafa Adib the formation of government, and the collision of their queries. Dead end.
This occurs at a time when some political forces seek to buy more time for the initiative, seeking to improve their terms of representation in government. The main knot that prevents the formation process centers on the adhesion of “Hezbollah” and the “Amal Movement” to the Ministry of Finance and to appoint the Shiite ministers, especially after US sanctions, while the prime minister in charge of rotating the bags and all the terms of the French initiative.
After the spokeswoman for the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Agnes von der Maul declared that “the priority in Lebanon should be the rapid formation of an important government that can implement basic reforms for the advancement of the country” and that corresponds to the political forces “translate this commitment into action without delay,” Aoun resumed. Yesterday, Tuesday, she consulted with the parliamentary blocs, without reaching a solution that eliminates the obstacles to the formation of a government.
In addition to internal obstacles, it appeared that the United States was firing at the French initiative, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized in recent remarks to the French newspaper Le Figaro, France’s continued engagement with Hezbollah and its “political wing.” .
He said: “France refuses to classify all of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, as other European countries have done. Instead, Paris maintains the illusion that there is a political wing of Hezbollah, despite the control of a terrorist, Hassan Nasrallah. “.
Former Lebanese Prime Ministers (from right) Salam, Hariri, Siniora and Miqati (social media)Baabda inquiries
The most prominent boycott of the presidential palace consultations, together with the “strong republic” bloc affiliated with the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, was the “Democratic Rally” bloc headed by deputy Taymour Walid Jumblatt, considering that the The consultations that are taking place are “contrary to principle, and a violation of the Taif Agreement and a violation of the powers specified in the Constitution.” “.
This boycott, May Khreish, deputy director of the Free Patriotic Movement for political affairs, describes it as “political malice” and indicates to Al-Jazeera Net that Aoun does not violate the constitution “because he is a real partner in the formation of the government, and if not sign her decree, she can’t see the light. ” Yesterday, the presidency of the republic issued a statement in which it responded to the “democratic meeting”, in which it asked: “Where is the text that prohibits the president from making consultations when situations require it?”
So would the formation of the “mission” government be impossible if the demands of the Shiite duo were not met?
The deputy of the Amal Movement in Parliament, Muhammad Khawaja, believes that whoever obstructs the French initiative wants to impose conditions on the Shiite duo under pressure. Yesterday, the deputy went with former minister Ali Hassan Khalil (who was sanctioned by the United States) to the Republican Palace to confirm the movement’s adherence to Hezbollah in the Ministry of Finance, and appoint the Shiite ministers.
Khawaja told Al-Jazeera Net: “Because our system is sectarian, we insist on adhering to the Ministry of Finance, to comply with the principle of participation in government, especially since the party and the movement are represented in parliament by 27 Shiite MPs “. In order not to be understood as sectarian, according to Khawaja, who said: “Let’s go to a civil state, not a sectarian one, so that we break the rules and we will not cling to any portfolio.
It is considered that, as a deputy, he is not worried about the French two-week period, although what is required is the termination of the government since last week. He continued: “The French initiative has not failed, because France is not a charitable association, and it wants to establish itself in Lebanon, just as we are interested in its initiative to open the doors of solutions for us.”
Regarding the recent contact between the head of the Amal Movement and the president of Parliament Nabih Berri and Macron, Khawaja points out that Berri is a discreet personality, but he assured him of the fundamentals of the Shiite duo, and that they would not oppose the principle of rotation if the regime Lebanese was not sectarian.
Al-Sharif: Some political forces emptied the political initiative of its content by refusing to rotate the bags (Al-Jazeera)The complex of heads of government
At this time, some accuse former heads of government (Saad Hariri, Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tamam Salam) of surrounding the prime minister-designate (who was Mikati’s former adviser) and forcing him not to open up to his political opponents.
This is what Khreish confirms, and considers that Adeeb has exceeded the norms in the government formation mechanism, by ceasing to consult with balanced parliamentary blocs, according to her. She said that “President Aoun initiated the resumption of consultations in an attempt to turn corners, on the success of the French initiative, given the reforms it contained, pointing out that this consultative task was the responsibility of the designated president, and she did not Khawaja Adeeb also accuses that he only talks to those who nominated him in the club of former prime ministers, “while we gave him 17 votes from our bloc.”
On the other hand, Dr. Khaldoun al-Sharif, Mikati’s adviser, rejects this logic, hinders former prime ministers and places it in the category of “local accusations” in exchange for escaping the real problem.
Al-Sharif goes back to the origins of the French initiative in “mission” government, stating that it is based on two principles: portfolio rotation and political participation in government. If the principles of delegation are lost, the designated superior cannot continue his mission.
He tells Al-Jazeera Net, “The French sponsored their agreement among the political forces, but some of them did not respect it in light of refusing to rotate and adhere to their political representation in government, which means abandoning the initiative. “. According to Al-Sharif, this leads to a major obstruction of the training process unless a French miracle occurs, and he believes that Lebanon faces two options: either take all of the French initiative or take none of it.
Basil and sorrows
Some analysts and political forces believe that Bassil’s recent stances were directed abroad to show a kind of distinction with his ally, Hezbollah, for fear that he would hedge himself with anticipated US sanctions, especially regarding its accession. to Resolution 1701, the demarcation of borders with Israel and the work of UNIFIL forces in the south, and its claim to grant confidence. To the government despite not participating in it.
But Bassil’s deputy refuses to describe their positions as an attempt to differentiate, saying: “Our alliance with Hezbollah is strategic and existential against terrorism and Israel.” Internally, we may not agree with many files that can reach the point of a boycott.
Khreish stressed that the movement does not take orders from the party, but works in accordance with the interests of its popular base and the national interest, and rejects the logic of any sect taking over a ministry. However, the Bassil deputy confirms his refusal to conspire with any external party against any internal component, and describes the US sanctions with the illegal policy they face, with perseverance in his approach.
MP Khawaja returns, confirming that the Shiite duo will not make concessions to avoid US sanctions, which he describes as a “global mafia” and considers that Washington imposes its punishment based on the Israeli interest “as the entire Middle East region sees with Israeli eyes. “
In context, Al-Sharif believes that US sanctions will not stop in Lebanon as a means of pressure, “especially since the French initiative was not associated with stopping US-imposed sanctions in isolation from any progress made by this initiative.” .
And while waiting for what France will broadcast, which continues to carry out its contacts with Lebanon, no signs of government formation have appeared on the horizon, says Khawaja, saying: “We cannot decide the time of government formation, and under normal circumstances it would have taken more than 3 months, mainly because our sectarian system generates problems and does not generate them. ” Produce solutions. “
In the midst of this gloomy climate, the next few hours seem decisive in giving new hope to the French initiative, or perhaps announcing a death, that will return the crisis in Lebanon to the first quarter.
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