In case PM Saad Hariri does not return to Beirut soon, what form of cabinet will be formed next?
A cabinet of one party is out of the question, since no party would approve formation without the participation of the Future Movement and the exclusion of Hezbollah cannot be passed due to political vetoes. Not to mention that a cabinet of one party will not receive a parliamentary majority during the mandatory consultations.
A technocrat cabinet, which is a neutral cabinet, formed of specialists and that was mentioned during the past few days as a way out of the crisis, is rejected by Hezbollah, the president and the Free Patriotic Movement, which makes its chances very low.
Consequently, the solution most likely to be adopted is the caretaking duties of the current cabinet.
In case Hariri returns to Lebanon and submits his written resignation to the president, the latter will ask him to assume his caretaking duties until the parliamentary consultations end and the decree to form a new cabinet is issued.
However, if the majority of the deputies nominate Hariri to form a new cabinet and he refuses, the caretaker cabinet continues its duties until the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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