Attempts to Enforce 'Techno-Bassil' Government, Shiite Duo Reject Govt. 'Of One Color'

Arab World

November 27th, 8:52am

Beirut - Mohammed Shukeir

Presidential Palace (NNA)

Lebanon's Shiite duo (Hezbollah and the Amal Movement) rejected a proposal by President Michel Aoun to form a one-colored government of 'one color,' an informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday. This came hours after caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his decision not to head to the next cabinet. “Aoun was informed about the position of the Shiite duo, which rejected the formation of a government of one color,” the sources said, adding that the President still hopes that Hezbollah and the Amal Movement would change their stand. “Both Speaker Nabih Berri and the Hezbollah leadership are not in favor of a government that would take the country to more conflicts, with unknown political and security repercussions, particularly in light of the current situation that do not bare such risky adventures,” the sources said. They said that the Free Patriotic Movement is currently launching a campaign against Hariri after the latter refused to form a techno-political government. “President Aoun only cares to keep caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil afloat and to show that his presence in the next government is much required although all parties know that provocative figures would not help dissipate the political crisis or clam the popular protests. Asharq Al-Awsat learned from political sources that the name of Bahij Tabbara was one of the luckiest candidates to head a government including both political figures and experts. The sources said that Tabbara held a wide-range of contacts with the President, Speaker and caretaker PM, in addition to the leadership of Hezbollah and Bassil in that regard. “He accepted in principle to head the new government on condition of forming a transition cabinet capable to save the country from an economic collapse,” the source said. However, Tabbara was faced with counter-conditions that Bassil enforced to restrict his powers as PM. “Bassil refuses to admit the political and moral loss inflicted on him by the popular movement. On the contrary, Aoun’s son-in-law still bets on being the strongest presidential candidate with an unconditioned support from Hezbollah,” the sources added.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2010486/attempts-enforce-techno-bassil-government-shiite-duo-reject-govt-one-color