Democratic Gathering Proposes 3 Candidates for New Govt., Including Hamadeh

MP Walid Jumblat's Democratic Gathering bloc might propose the appointment of Ayman Shqeir and the MPs Marwan Hamadeh and Talal Arslan as ministers in Saad Hariri's government, a media report said on Tuesday.

According to An Nahar newspaper, ex-MP Ghattas Khoury and MP Jean Oghassabian of al-Mustaqbal Movement are also among the reported candidates.

“There are also discussions about the Greek Orthodox figure that will be named deputy premier and (caretaker Education) Minister Elias Bou Saab (of the Free Patriotic Movement) is among the candidates,” An Nahar said.

Caretaker Foreign Minister and FPM chief Jebran Bassil will also be in the new government but his portfolio has not been specified yet, the daily added.

President Michel Aoun's election and Hariri's appointment as premier have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin tackling challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.

In a sign that Hariri's task ahead might not be easy, Hizbullah's MPs declined to endorse him for the prime minister post, even though his nomination was all-but-assured.

Hariri is likely to struggle with his government's policy statement, which will have to make reference to Israel, as well as the war in Syria, both potential flashpoints with Hizbullah.

The process of forming a government could take months, with horsetrading likely to revolve around the distribution of key posts like the finance, defense and energy ministries.