As the country crumbles, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri made a new effort to form a desperately-needed government, presenting a revised Cabinet lineup to President Michel Aoun on Wednesday.
Arriving in Baabda Palace directly after visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, Hariri submitted a draft lineup of 24 ministers in line with the French initiative and a solution proposed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Hariri was reportedly days away from submitting his resignation over the unwavering government formation deadlock. According to Al-Hadath, Cairo asked Hariri not to resign and that it will invite several Arab countries for coordination meetings about Lebanon.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Aoun, Hariri said he hoped to hear an answer from the president by Thursday at noon.
For his part, Aoun announced that he received a draft and that it includes new names and a new distribution of portfolios and sects that was “different from what was previously agreed upon,” which “will be the subject of research, study, and consultation, in order to build upon what is required.”
