Lebanese Officials Agree on 20-Minister Cabinet

After the latest round of talks agreed on a cabinet of 20 ministers, a Lebanese government lineup could be announced soon in Beirut, thereby pleasing all parties who had objected to the small size of their representation.

The deal was reached during a meeting between Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab, head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh, Amal's representative in the caretaker government, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's political adviser Hussein al-Khalil on Monday night.

Diab has been struggling to shape an 18-member cabinet of experts since his appointment a month ago.

Nevertheless, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the four men agreed Monday to add two ministers to the 18-member government, reserving the two additional seats to the Marada and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP).

The sources added that the SSNP would be represented in the new lineup by a Druze minister, a move that should appease the Druze community, which has been calling for two ministers.

"This agreement should pave the way for a cabinet to be nearly announced if at the last minute no unforeseen developments appear," the source said.

Over the past few weeks, Lebanon's political impasse has deepened as Diab has failed to form a new government due to political leaders ' disagreements about the size of their representation.

Presidential sources have told Asharq Al-Awsat that Diab has not objected to a proposal to form a cabinet of 20 members.

"The designate-PM just asked to review the new suggestion for some time," the source said, predicting the government should be revealed in the next few hours.

Lebanon's top security officials vowed to crack down on vandalism Monday after a week of rioting in Beirut that left hundreds of people wounded and destroyed public and private property — violence that comes against the backdrop of a deepening political impasse.

The announcement followed a meeting at the presidential palace which included President Michel Aoun as well as the ministers of interior and defense. The officials called for greater cooperation among Lebanese security agencies to deal with the unrest better.

Lebanon has been roiled over by three months of largely peaceful anti-government protests which have turned into vandalism in parts of Beirut over the past week.

In a mass uprising against the ruling elite of the country, which they blame for decades of corruption and mismanagement that brought Lebanon to the brink of economic collapse, protesters first took to the streets in mid-October. Since then the country has deepened into a political crisis.

Saad Hariri, the outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister, tweeted Monday that Lebanon needs a new government as soon as possible to help stop the "rising by the day" economic and security deterioration. He added that a caretaker government is not the solution and that new leadership will take full responsibility.