18th round of talks yields no progress in Lebanon

President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri yesterday failed to make a breakthrough in forming a Lebanese government.

Negotiations over a Cabinet line-up reached a stalemate, resulting in the pair trading accusations.

The meeting was the politicians’ 18th since Mr Hariri was given the job of forming a Cabinet in October.

Mr Hariri accused the president of blocking the process by seeking veto power. Mr Aoun said Mr Hariri might want to block the Cabinet formation “for unknown reasons”.

Speaking at the presidential palace, Mr Hariri said he turned down incomplete Cabinet proposals the president had shared with him on Sunday because they guaranteed Mr Aoun more than a third of the Cabinet seats, granting him the power to block decisions.

“First, it’s not the president’s job to form the Cabinet. Second, our constitution clearly states that the prime minister-designate forms the Cabinet and selects the names and then discusses it with the president,” Mr Hariri said.

Mr Hariri, who insisted on the formation of a Cabinet of non-partisan experts, made public the 18-member line-up that Mr Aoun turned down over three months ago.

“I have one aim: to put an end to the meltdown and the Lebanese people’s suffering. I asked the president to listen to the Lebanese people’s agony and give the country its only and last chance through forming a Cabinet of experts that can implement reforms and halt the meltdown,” Mr Hariri said.

The delay has plunged Lebanon deeper into crisis.

Hours earlier, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Europe “must be ready” as Lebanon edged towards collapse. International financial aid will only begin when political and economic reforms begin.

France is considering sanctions against Lebanese politicians, a French diplomatic source told The National last week.

Mr Hariri, who vowed not to yield to pressure from Mr Aoun and his allies, said he was waiting for the president to take the necessary steps to contain the crisis.

His remarks came a few days after Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah and a staunch ally of Mr Aoun, asked Mr Hariri in a televised speech to consider a Cabinet of experts and politicians who could manage the crisis.

According to the constitution, the signatures of Mr Aoun and Mr Hariri are required on the Cabinet formation decree before the government can seek a vote of confidence in Parliament where Hezbollah and its allies hold a majority.