Hariri to Appoint Premiership Candidate during Parliamentary Consultations

On Sunday, Lebanese former Prime Minister Saad Hariri will select his candidate for prime minister's position ahead of Monday's binding parliamentary consultations at the presidential palace.

During the consultations, he will nominate the candidate.

Informed political sources said: "the government issue was resolved, and all that remains are procedural issues."

Hariri has been adamant in denying his appointment as PM-designate, according to sources.

On March 8, Hariri told Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that he would nominate his candidate for the hours before the consultations.

Sources close to Hariri stressed that during the consultations, the former PM would tell President Michel Aoun of his decision, not before, in compliance with the Constitution.

Local media have speculated Hariri's choice of a person from Tripoli's northern region. The figure would be for the post's first time nominee.

Former minister Rashid Derbas ruled out of the race, claiming he had never been confronted with the topic in the local media.

Together with the Marada movement and other senators, the Hezbollah party's "Shiite duo" and Berri's Amal movement continue to demand that Hariri be charged with heading up the new cabinet.

In the aftermath of the devastating Beirut port blast on August 4, they cited his foreign ties and the world's assistance to Lebanon.

Berri would consider Hariri's proposed nominee if the former PM maintains that he stay out of the race.

Local circles have said government creation would be encouraged to concentrate on saving Lebanon and its floundering economy. It won't be a highly conservative cabinet, and won't have controversial figures. Instead, the government will be politically secure, and it will have a political or techno-political identity.

Informed sources refuted the statements on reports that Hezbollah would not be included in the new government as part of such so-called facilitation and in line with international demands, saying the party would appoint its ministers.