BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president began talks on Tuesday expected to result in Saad Al-Hariri being nominated for a second time to form a government — a task seen as complicated by rising political tension.
President Michel Suleiman began receiving Lebanon’s 128 lawmakers at his palace overlooking Beirut on Tuesday. He is obliged to designate the figure with the most support among MPs. The consultations conclude on Wednesday.
Hariri is expected to be nominated by members of his parliamentary majority coalition, which defeated a rival alliance led by Hezbollah in a June election.
He was nominated prime minister after the election but stepped down last week after more than 10 weeks trying to forge a unity government including Hezbollah and its allies.
Hariri and rival groups have traded accusations of blame since the failure of the talks.
There has been no sign of compromise over the differences that derailed Hariri’s first attempt, chief among them his refusal to yield to the demands of Christian politician Michel Aoun.
Reflecting a less cordial political climate, the pro-Syria parliamentary bloc of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, which nominated Hariri for prime minister in June, did not nominate anyone for the post on Tuesday. Likewise, MPs belonging to Hezbollah did not nominate anyone.
Aoun also said he would not nominate anyone. “It appears that we are at great odds and the tone is escalatory,” he said.
