Reports: Line-up talks to resume after Adha, no govt. before presidential election

All consultations over the Cabinet formation have been halted, al-Akhbar newspaper said Friday, as it considered that no government will be formed before the end of President Michel Aoun's term.

Another media report, also published on Friday, said that Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati will not meet before Wednesday, which marks the end of the Adha holiday.

The report added that the Free Patriotic Movement ministers might resign in an attempt to press Mikati to speed up the government formation.

Last week, Mikati handed Aoun the new government’s draft line-up, after a week of being re-appointed as Prime Minister. The line-up was leaked on the same day. Only some of the caretaker ministers were replaced and the energy portfolio was not given to the FPM, neither to a Christian candidate. Greek Orthodox caretaker Minister Walid Fayyad was replaced by a Sunni candidate.

Later last week, after the two leaders met again, Mikati said he is "ready to amend" the cabinet line-up and that any line-up will respect equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims.