The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
According to information from L'Orient-Le Jour, the Baabda meeting came to nothing because Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to the name of the fifth Shiite minister proposed by the head of the government-designate, Nawaf Salam. The latter “is attached to a ministerial position and does not seem willing to make concessions on this point,” confided a source familiar with the negotiations, without divulging the name in question. But according to our information, it's not Abdel Rida Nasser, a judge whose name has been circulating since Wednesday as a candidate for the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.
“It is up to Nawaf Salam to propose names and form his team in consultation with the President of the Republic,” added the source, insisting that it is the Prime Minister-designate, armed with the green light from the Head of State, who will appoint the fifth Shiite.
In circles close to the Shiite tandem, the Prime Minister-designate is accused of “not respecting the appointment mechanism agreed upon by Salam and the Amal-Hezbollah duo,” in the words of someone close to Hezbollah.
“We appointed our ministers who had the approval of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam,” he said, stressing that the President and the Prime Minister-designate were to appoint the fifth Shiite minister in consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, negotiator on behalf of the Amal-Hezbollah duo. “Except that Nawaf Salam proposed a name that did not meet Berri's approval,” added the person close to Hezbollah. According to our information, all eyes are on the President to overcome the obstacle.
However, the tandem is confident it will obtain the following four portfolios within the future team:
Finance, which should go to Yassin Jaber (former minister, Amal); Environment, which should be headed by researcher Tamara Zein (Amal); Labor, where Hezbollah intends to lead university professor Mohammad Haidar; and Health, which should be headed by Rakan Nasreddine, a cardiovascular physician at the American University of Beirut hospital.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
According to information from L'Orient-Le Jour, the Baabda meeting came to nothing because Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to the name of the fifth Shiite minister proposed by the head of the government-designate, Nawaf Salam. The latter “is attached to a ministerial position and does not seem willing to make concessions on this point,” confided a source familiar with the negotiations, without divulging the name in question. But according to our information, it's not Abdel Rida Nasser, a judge whose name has been circulating since Wednesday as a candidate for the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.
“It is up to Nawaf Salam to propose names and form his team in consultation with the President of the Republic,” added the source, insisting that it is the Prime Minister-designate, armed with the green light from the Head of State, who will appoint the fifth Shiite.
In circles close to the Shiite tandem, the Prime Minister-designate is accused of “not respecting the appointment mechanism agreed upon by Salam and the Amal-Hezbollah duo,” in the words of someone close to Hezbollah.
“We appointed our ministers who had the approval of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam,” he said, stressing that the President and the Prime Minister-designate were to appoint the fifth Shiite minister in consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, negotiator on behalf of the Amal-Hezbollah duo. “Except that Nawaf Salam proposed a name that did not meet Berri's approval,” added the person close to Hezbollah. According to our information, all eyes are on the President to overcome the obstacle.
However, the tandem is confident it will obtain the following four portfolios within the future team:
Finance, which should go to Yassin Jaber (former minister, Amal); Environment, which should be headed by researcher Tamara Zein (Amal); Labor, where Hezbollah intends to lead university professor Mohammad Haidar; and Health, which should be headed by Rakan Nasreddine, a cardiovascular physician at the American University of Beirut hospital.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
According to information from L'Orient-Le Jour, the Baabda meeting came to nothing because Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to the name of the fifth Shiite minister proposed by the head of the government-designate, Nawaf Salam. The latter “is attached to a ministerial position and does not seem willing to make concessions on this point,” confided a source familiar with the negotiations, without divulging the name in question. But according to our information, it's not Abdel Rida Nasser, a judge whose name has been circulating since Wednesday as a candidate for the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.
“It is up to Nawaf Salam to propose names and form his team in consultation with the President of the Republic,” added the source, insisting that it is the Prime Minister-designate, armed with the green light from the Head of State, who will appoint the fifth Shiite.
In circles close to the Shiite tandem, the Prime Minister-designate is accused of “not respecting the appointment mechanism agreed upon by Salam and the Amal-Hezbollah duo,” in the words of someone close to Hezbollah.
“We appointed our ministers who had the approval of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam,” he said, stressing that the President and the Prime Minister-designate were to appoint the fifth Shiite minister in consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, negotiator on behalf of the Amal-Hezbollah duo. “Except that Nawaf Salam proposed a name that did not meet Berri's approval,” added the person close to Hezbollah. According to our information, all eyes are on the President to overcome the obstacle.
However, the tandem is confident it will obtain the following four portfolios within the future team:
Finance, which should go to Yassin Jaber (former minister, Amal); Environment, which should be headed by researcher Tamara Zein (Amal); Labor, where Hezbollah intends to lead university professor Mohammad Haidar; and Health, which should be headed by Rakan Nasreddine, a cardiovascular physician at the American University of Beirut hospital.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
According to information from L'Orient-Le Jour, the Baabda meeting came to nothing because Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to the name of the fifth Shiite minister proposed by the head of the government-designate, Nawaf Salam. The latter “is attached to a ministerial position and does not seem willing to make concessions on this point,” confided a source familiar with the negotiations, without divulging the name in question. But according to our information, it's not Abdel Rida Nasser, a judge whose name has been circulating since Wednesday as a candidate for the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.
“It is up to Nawaf Salam to propose names and form his team in consultation with the President of the Republic,” added the source, insisting that it is the Prime Minister-designate, armed with the green light from the Head of State, who will appoint the fifth Shiite.
In circles close to the Shiite tandem, the Prime Minister-designate is accused of “not respecting the appointment mechanism agreed upon by Salam and the Amal-Hezbollah duo,” in the words of someone close to Hezbollah.
“We appointed our ministers who had the approval of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam,” he said, stressing that the President and the Prime Minister-designate were to appoint the fifth Shiite minister in consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, negotiator on behalf of the Amal-Hezbollah duo. “Except that Nawaf Salam proposed a name that did not meet Berri's approval,” added the person close to Hezbollah. According to our information, all eyes are on the President to overcome the obstacle.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
According to information from L'Orient-Le Jour, the Baabda meeting came to nothing because Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to the name of the fifth Shiite minister proposed by the head of the government-designate, Nawaf Salam. The latter “is attached to a ministerial position and does not seem willing to make concessions on this point,” confided a source familiar with the negotiations, without divulging the name in question. But according to our information, it's not Abdel Rida Nasser, a judge whose name has been circulating since Wednesday as a candidate for the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.
“It is up to Nawaf Salam to propose names and form his team in consultation with the President of the Republic,” added the source, insisting that it is the Prime Minister-designate, armed with the green light from the Head of State, who will appoint the fifth Shiite.
In circles close to the Shiite tandem, the Prime Minister-designate is accused of “not respecting the appointment mechanism agreed upon by Salam and the Amal-Hezbollah duo,” in the words of someone close to Hezbollah.
“We appointed our ministers who had the approval of Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam,” he said, stressing that the President and the Prime Minister-designate were to appoint the fifth Shiite minister in consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, negotiator on behalf of the Amal-Hezbollah duo. “Except that Nawaf Salam proposed a name that did not meet with Berri's approval,” added the person close to Hezbollah. According to our information, all eyes are on the President to overcome the obstacle.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
According to information from L'Orient-Le Jour, the Baabda meeting came to nothing because Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to the name of the fifth Shiite minister proposed by the head of the government-designate, Nawaf Salam. The latter “is attached to a ministerial position and does not seem willing to make concessions on this point,” confided a source familiar with the negotiations, without divulging the name in question. But according to our information, it's not Abdel Rida Nasser, a judge whose name has been circulating since Wednesday as a candidate for the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.
“It is up to Nawaf Salam to propose names and form his team in consultation with the President of the Republic,” added the source, insisting that it is the Prime Minister-designate, armed with the green light from the Head of State, who will appoint the fifth Shiite.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
Gaza
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel would "hand over" the Gaza Strip to the U.S. after the fighting ends and that no U.S. soldiers would be needed there, according to Reuters.
“The Gaza Strip would be handed over to the United States by Israel at the end of the fighting. The Palestinians ... would have already been resettled in much safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region,” Trump said in a message published on Truth Social.
Iran
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons, after U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran should not have them.
“We are not seeking nuclear weapons,” Pezeshkian said at a meeting with foreign diplomats in Tehran, adding that it was "easy" to verify the claim, AFP reports.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
Gaza
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel would "hand over" the Gaza Strip to the U.S. after the fighting ends and that no U.S. soldiers would be needed there, according to Reuters.
“The Gaza Strip would be handed over to the United States by Israel at the end of the fighting. The Palestinians ... would have already been resettled in much safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region,” Trump said in a message published on Truth Social.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The abrupt end to the meeting between Aoun, Berri and Salam signals that no agreement could be reached on the appointment of the fifth Shiite minister. The Joseph Aoun-Nawaf Salam tandem wanted to appoint this fifth Shiite minister, in exchange for the allocation of the Finance Ministry to Yassin Jaber, a former deputy close to the legislative leader. This option seems to have been rejected by the latter.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam also left the presidential palace without making any statement to the press.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri left Baabda Palace.
Average Eurobond prices passed the 17 cents to the dollar mark between Wednesday evening and this Thursday, according to market reports. At 1 p.m., the price of these dollar-denominated debt securities on which the government has defaulted stood at 17.25 cents to the dollar, its highest level since 2021.
Having slipped to around 16 cents since the end of last week, due to the obstacles slowing down the formation of the government, they had already climbed back to 17 cents by Wednesday evening.
The meeting between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri has been going on for almost 1.5 hours to iron out the last hurdles in the government's plan.
The “Independent National Bloc” parliamentary group, made up of people close to Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, has denounced Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's “double standards” in forming the government, accusing him of refusing party representation in his team, while “granting certain parties sovereign ministries.”
“We demand that the criteria for forming the government be clear and unified, so that everyone is treated equally, according to the principles of the constitution and the National Pact, and not according to political whims and moods,” added the MPs from the Bloc, which includes Farid Haykal al-Khazen, Tony Frangieh and William Tok, among others.
Government Secretary-General Mahmoud Makkieh arrived at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, according to local media. This confirms that the decree forming the government will be issued today, the channel adds.
At the end of a meeting in Bkirki, the Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai expressed his hope that the government would see the light of day “today or tomorrow.” “The country is entering a new life, with the support of the international community, and we have great confidence in the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to save the country economically,” he said.
Shortly before heading up to Baabda, Nawaf Salam had held talks with the Mufti of the Republic, Abdellatif Derian, notably on the formation of the government.
At the end of the meeting, he said he had kept him informed of the “government formation process and the results achieved.” “I assured him that I was working hard to speed up the formation process,” he added.
(Credit: X/Lebanese Presidency)
Meeting in Baabda between Joseph Aoun, Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is also present in Baabda.
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam arrived at the Baabda presidential palace to present Joseph Aoun with a draft of his Cabinet. The meeting took place a few hours after another between the two men on Wednesday evening. Salam left the meeting announcing that the draft still needed “some fine-tuning.”
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