FIVE MONTHS after Lebanon’s parliamentary election, prime minister-designate Saad Hariri last night presented to Lebanese president Michel Suleiman the line-up for a national unity government.
Mr Hariri went to the Baabda palace after hurried negotiations over portfolios with Christian allies, the Phalange party and the Lebanese Forces.
The government’s formation was delayed by wrangling between Mr Hariri’s majority bloc and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), the Christian component of the opposition coalition led by the Shia Hizbullah movement.
The breakthrough came last Friday when Hizbullah agreed on the distribution of portfolios in a cabinet consisting of 20 members from the ruling bloc, 10 from the opposition, and five appointed by Mr Suleiman. Neither bloc will have a veto and the president, who is seen as a neutral figure, will have a deciding role.
Hizbullah, which will have two seats in the cabinet, persuaded FPM chief Michel Aoun to drop his demands for six seats and for the appointment of his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, as telecommunications minister.
The FPM yesterday named four ministers and a minister of state. Mr Bassil was proposed for the energy portfolio rather than telecommunications.
“The final stage ended,” said Mr Aoun. “Hopefully [the cabinet] will be formed tonight.”
The June election gave Mr Hariri’s coalition 71 seats in the 128-member assembly and the opposition bloc 57 seats. The country’s powersharing formula and the risk of a boycott by the opposition compelled Mr Hariri to form a unity government.
Hizbullah ministers withdrew from the government in December 2006, precipitating a cabinet crisis which lasted until Qatar mediated a settlement in May 2008 following street fighting in Beirut.
Mr Hariri has worked hard to secure consensus between bitter rivals in his own camp and the opposition. His difficulties were eased last month when Saudi King Abdullah, Mr Hariri’s patron, travelled to Damascus to reconcile with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who backs Hizbullah.
Iran, Hizbullah’s other main external ally, also favours a unity government.
The rift between Riyadh and Damascus dates back to 2005 when Saudi Arabia accused Syria of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri, father of Saad Hariri.
Rapprochement between the Saudi king and Syrian president and public pressure at home put pressure on politicians to make compromises they had refused to contemplate earlier.
One Lebanese analyst said the new government must deal with a host of problems, including a shortage of electricity, the need for a social security programme and the country’s rising debt.
With the aim of resolving factional disputes and encouraging co-operation, Mr Suleiman has pledged to resume national dialogue. One of the main issues is Hizbullah’s military wing and weaponry.
The movement contends that it must retain its military wing, which is more powerful than the national army, to defend the country from Israel. But right-wing Christians say Hizbullah’s units should be disbanded and its arms handed over to the army.
In recent weeks, Hizbullah has been bolstering defences around southern villages following a rise in tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
