Kiss Goodbye to 2018: Lebanon Will Not Have New Cabinet Till Further in New Year

Published December 27th, 2018 - 09:34 GMT
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, right, and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri at the presidential palace.( AFP/File)
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, right, and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri at the presidential palace.( AFP/File)

The new government will not be formed in the remaining days of 2018 according to media reports.

In remarks to Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, informed sources ruled out “any breakthrough before the beginning of next year.”

“Initiatives and contacts among the concerned parties are nearly suspended,” the sources added.

A dispute over the political affiliation of Sunni candidate Jawad Adra has torpedoed the latest attempt to resolve the government deadlock.

Adra had been initially nominated as a consensus candidate representing both President Michel Aoun and the Consultative Gathering – a grouping of six pro-Hizbullah Sunni MPs – but the Gathering later withdrew its endorsement of Adra after ambiguity surfaced over his future political alignment.

This article has been adapted from its original source.