Report: LF, Democratic Gathering Finish Deliberations over Shares in Cabinet

The endeavors to line-up a cabinet are focusing now on the share that will be allotted to the Marada Movement after an agreement was reached with regard to the portfolios that will be given to the Lebanese Forces and the Democratic Gathering bloc, media reports said.

The efforts exerted to overcome the obstacles are focusing now on the portfolio that will be assigned to the Marada which will probably be the health ministry. Sources said that the only two parties which fulfilled the requirements and are out of the discussions now are the LF and the Democratic Gathering, An Nahar daily reported Thursday.

The daily dubbed as “baseless” reports claiming that a conflict over the public works ministry lingers between the AMAL movement and the LF. As there is an agreement between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri to compensate for the Lebanese Forces and assign them with four portfolios --public works, social affairs, media and the Deputy PM post-- instead of a sovereign portfolio.

Head of the LF Samir Geagea has provided Hariri with the names to be assigned for the LF ministerial shares and so did MP Walid Jumblat for the shares allotted for the Democratic Gathering.

In October, the parliament elected Aoun, a former general, as president ending a two-and-half-year deadlock that left Lebanon without a president.

However, Hariri is still facing obstacles bringing together a line-up that balances Lebanon's delicate sectarian-based political system. At stake is the distribution of the most powerful portfolios like the defense ministry and other key portfolios including the public works.