Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil
Lebanon will definitely form a new government despite the obstacles, its caretaker foreign minister said on Wednesday, after President Michel Aoun intervened in the stalled process and warned of a "catastrophe" if his efforts failed.
Heavily indebted and with a stagnant economy, Lebanon desperately needs a new government to implement economic reforms that are required to put its public finances on a more sustainable footing and unlock pledges of foreign aid.
"Partnership between the president and the prime minister along with the national consensus will certainly lead to the formation of a new government, despite all obstacles," Gebran Bassil, Aoun's son-in-law and head of the political party he founded, told an investment conference in London.
Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, also attending the conference, told reporters, said he was "always optimistic" when asked about the prospects of forming a new government following seven months of political wrangling.
The U.S. has rejected an Israeli request to impose sanctions on Lebanon over cross-border tunnels allegedly dug by Lebanese group Hezbollah, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Wednesday.During a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for imposing sanctions on Beirut and the Lebanese army, citing their alleged responsibility for violating UN resolution 1701, which put an end to Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.While Pompeo rejected the Israeli request, he agreed to draw up sanctions on Hezbollah, the Israeli newspaper said.Video shows Israeli army killing mentally ill youthAccording to Haaretz, Washington made clear that the U.S. and Lebanon have close military ties and there is no interest in undermining them.There was no comment from either the Lebanese government or Hezbollah on the report.Last week, the Israeli army launched a military operation to “thwart” and “expose” tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.Since then, the Israeli army announced it had discovered three tunnels leading into Israeli territory from southern Lebanon. In 2006, Israel launched a war against Hezbollah during which at least 1,200 people, mostly Lebanese civilians, were killed.Israel arrests 6 Palestinians in overnight raidsAustralian government discusses moving Israel embassy to Jerusalem
US rejects Israeli request for Lebanon sanctions
In Beirut, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he was "optimistic for the possibility of a solution soon", according to a member of parliament from his own party.
Berri believed there was now a serious effort to form a government and his optimism stemmed from Aoun's intervention in the process, the lawmeker, Ali Bazzi, said.
Aoun said on Tuesday the government formation could not be resolved in the traditional way between the prime minister-designate and other parties, meaning he had to get involved.
Hariri said on Twitter that the new government would be firmly committed to reforms agreed at a donor conference this year, including fiscal reforms.
Agreement on the make-up of the new cabinet has met a series of obstacles as Hariri has sought to forge a deal parceling out 30 cabinet posts among rival groups according to a sectarian political system.
The final hurdle has been over Sunni Muslim representation, with the powerful Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah demanding a cabinet seat for one of its Sunni allies who gained ground in the election.
Analysts believe one compromise could be for Aoun to nominate one of the Hezbollah-aligned Sunnis, or a figure acceptable to them, among a group of ministers named by the president.