6 ministers out of 24 for the “duo”?

Antoine Al-Asmar wrote in “Al-Liwaa”:

The meeting yesterday between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and the Prime Minister-designate to form the government, Nawaf Salam, helped crystallize the path of formation, the basis of which remains the position of both the Amal Movement and Hezbollah on the outcome of the parliamentary consultations in the Republican Palace, and what they consider to be a deception they were subjected to that led to Salam instead of a prime minister. Caretaker Najib Mikati.

There is no doubt that the President-designate smoothly and comprehensively approaches the position of the Shiite duo, and he succeeded in breaking the ice with the Speaker of the House of Representatives by insisting on the duality of consensus and then consensus, and then by announcing after the meeting with him that he considers that the parliamentary consultations that were boycotted by the Amal Movement and Hezbollah blocs have ended with a meeting. Berri and not at the end of his meetings with representatives on Wednesday and Thursday. Berri responded to that gesture by emphasizing that the meeting with Salam was promising.

However, the problem of the Shiite duo is not with the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, nor with the president-designate, but rather exclusively with those who are seen to have broken the promise, similar to former MP Walid Jumblatt, who promised Berri to name Mikati and then failed as a result of external pressure and disagreement with his son, Prime Minister. Democratic Meeting MP Taymour Jumblatt, who considers that Mikati does not serve the idea of ​​change and is not compatible with the local and external momentum that resulted from Aoun’s election.

There is no doubt that the dynamic that resulted from the convergence of the opposition blocs and the Free Patriotic Movement to support Salam attracted other blocs that had previously promised the duo to name Mikati, especially the Sunni bloc.

More than one political party believes that the duo should address their problem with those who promised them but did not fulfill them, and not make the government subject to their will and the country hostage to the government bazaar that has already begun, in order for the party and movement to obtain the greatest amount of gains in exchange for breaking the captivity of the government.

It is clear that Aoun and Salam are aware of what the duo’s position entails, so they stressed from their respective positions that there should be no exclusion or deportation of any of the parties or components, while not accepting the ongoing bazaar. Meaning that there is a presidential keenness on a balanced government formula that takes into account sizes, but without allowing anyone to obstruct, sabotage, or disrupt the beginning of the new era and dissipate the momentum resulting from the international position. This reality is what prompted Salam to inform those concerned and the parliamentary blocs with whom he met in the non-binding parliamentary consultations, that there is no solution except an understanding to form a government.

It turned out that communication between Berri and Salam has been ongoing since Monday, that is, immediately after the assignment, and it established a set of understandings.

In this context, it was reported that it was agreed that the share of the duo in a government of 24 ministers would be 4 Shiite ministers, a Christian minister, and a Sunni minister, and the distribution of ministries remains, which had not been finalized until late last night, knowing that the duo may not get everything. He seeks it, especially at the level of monopolization of the basic and service ministries, as he intends to demand the ministries of Works and Communications, which is difficult to achieve.

In this context, competition for services ministries emerged due to the municipal and elective elections this year, and the parliamentary elections in the spring of 2026. As for the Ministry of Finance, it will most likely be headed by a Shiite minister agreed upon with the duo.

Perhaps this positivity was the motivation for the Speaker of the House of Representatives announcing that the path was heading towards a solution and a cooperative peace, but he clarified that the discussion had not yet touched on the portfolios and names of ministers, pointing out that the Prime Minister-designate is the one who determines the form of the government, whether political, partisan or technocratic. He pointed out that when the president-designate presents us with names, we agree if the person is competent, and we reject him if he is not competent, “even if he is my brother.” He confirmed his refusal to isolate Hezbollah.

A prominent official considers it not a detail for Berri to announce that he is waiting for Salam to present the names to him to give his opinion on it, contrary to what was prevalent in the past and since he assumed the presidency of the Council in 1992, when he kept the names of his ministers and did not hand them over except in the final meeting that brought him together with the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister-designate. After making sure that the government formation was complete.