Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri held consultations Monday with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace after which he pledged to maintain good ties with Speaker Nabih Berri.
“There are some obstacles in the cabinet formation process but we will try to resolve them,” Hariri said after the talks.
He also noted that Aoun is keen on the country’s economy.
Aoun’s election and Hariri’s appointment as premier-designate have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin tackling challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.
In a sign that Hariri’s mission as premier might not be easy, Hizbullah’s MPs declined to endorse him during binding parliamentary consultations.
Hariri and Aoun are still struggling to put together a new cabinet amid conflicting demands from the political forces that are seeking to join the unity government.
Horsetrading is still revolving around the so-called services-related ministerial portfolios, mainly public works and telecommunications.
