Reports: Hariri's Appointment as PM is Alive..Decision May Be on Thursday

On Monday, the Lebanese Al-Jumhuriya newspaper revealed that Saad El-Hariri might be named to head the coming government in Lebanon next Thursday.

The newspaper, quoting sources, stated that there were attempts to embarrass the former prime minister, Saad Hariri, by delaying the parliamentary consultations, but the former PM understood this attempt, by not commenting and insisting on his designation.

When French President Emmanuel Macron visited Lebanon last month, he announced a roadmap for forming a government and carrying out political and economic reforms aimed at rescuing the country from its acute economic crisis.

He announced that a government of non-partisan technocrats should be formed by September 15 and then carry out set of reforms that would allow the International Monetary Fund and international community to bail Lebanon out.

Macron urged Lebanon political elite to honor their promise and facilitate former Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib to form a government; instead, Adib stepped down after weeks of failing to convince Hezbollah and the rest of the political establishment to cooperate.

While the French Initiative seems to be dead, the entire Lebanese political establishment continue to publicly underscore their full commitment to it.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who heads the biggest Sunni parliamentary bloc and stepped down in the wake of protests in 2019, publicly vowed to form a cabinet of non-partisan technocrats who will allegedly overhaul the entire system.

While Hariri has nominated himself for the role, he presents a number of challenges – some directly linked to himself, others to the political class to which he belongs.

Parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister were due to be held last Thursday, but President Michel Aoun postponed the discussions after receiving requests for a delay from some parliamentary blocs.