Govt. formation efforts not deadlocked as Ibrahim continues mediation

The government formation efforts are not deadlocked and the mediation of General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim is about to reach its conclusions, a media report said on Friday.

“Ibrahim will carry out today a new round of negotiations between the Baabda Palace and the Grand Serail to continue discussions over the issue of the names that will be changed in the new line-up,” sources informed on the negotiations told al-Joumhouria newspaper.

“The issue of the conditions that were set by Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil has been shelved, after PM-designate Najib Mikati stressed that he cannot commit to them alone seeing as they require the consensus of cabinet’s components,” the sources added.

“However, some of the conditions will be discussed in the meeting that will gather President Michel Aoun and Mikati in the beginning of next week, and if an agreement is reached today over the pending points, the meeting might be held tomorrow,” the sources went on to say.

The sources added that “what’s being negotiated on is four names for four portfolios” and that “the time for the formation process is no longer open-ended.”