Abbas meets Aoun, Hariri over govt formation deadlock

Lebanon’s top troubleshooter , General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim met with President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri in an endeavor to implement the initiative of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over the formation of the new government, al-Jadeed TV reported

But according to Al-Jadeed Aoun and Hariri are not budging over their stances.”

“The president will not apologize or invite Hariri to the Baabda Palace and the PM-designate is insisting on his cabinet line-up,” the TV network said.

This development comes after Al-Rahi recently called on Aoun and Hariri to hold a “personal reconciliation meeting” and agree on a line-up for the new government.

Ever since he was appointed to his post in July 2011, Ibrahim succeeded in avoiding being politically affiliated to a certain party. He stayed close to the side that named him – AMAL and “Hezbollah” that appoint all Shi’ite public employees to their posts – while convincing their rivals of his centrist mediator role.

Ibrahim managed to prove himself to be a major troubleshooter . He plays the role of the “eyes and ears of the state.”

Analysts are of the opinion that Aoun has become a figurehead and is being manipulated by Hezbollah and his son in law Gebran Bassil who have “absolutely “no interest in the government of reforms that Hariri wants to form .

A prominent Christian Lebanese leader accused Aoun of being a front for a system that handed over Lebanon’s sovereignty to the Iranian backed Hezbollah militant group .

Phalange Party leader Sami Gemayel was quoted by Al Hurrays TV as saying today “Michel Aoun is a front for an integrated system that has accepted the handover of Lebanon’s sovereignty to Hezbollah and the allotment of the country.”