In Lebanon, several political parties on Thursday (November 14th) agreed on the appointment of Mohammad Safadi, a former finance minister, as prime minister of a new government, Reuters said, citing sources familiar with the talks. LBCI and MTV television stations were the first to report this information.
The prime minister must be Sunni in Lebanon's confessional system of power-sharing. The outgoing Saad Hariri resigned on October 29, while Lebanon was a prey for weeks in a protest movement in the street targeting a political class deemed corrupt and adept nepotism, against a backdrop of economic difficulties.
Agreement in principle
The consensus was reached late Thursday during a meeting between Saad Hariri and leaders of Shiite movements Amal and Hezbollah. During this meeting, Saad Hariri expressed no objection to the appointment of Mohammad Safadi. He said his party's members, the Future Stream, would appoint Safadi in a formal process that should begin soon.
An official close to Amal and Hezbollah said that an agreement in principle on the appointment of Safadi was found at this meeting. Neither the political parties nor Mohammad Safadi have yet officially confirmed this information.
Mohammad Safadi, 75, is a businessman and former member of the Tripoli-dominated Sunni parliament. He was also Minister of Finance, Economy and Trade.
With Reuters