Hezbollah reneges on Lebanese govt pledge

Hezbollah reneges on Lebanese govt pledge

BEIRUT: Hezbollah has walked away from a previous agreement to form a Lebanese government of nonpolitical specialists, claiming that any leadership not backed by political forces "will go down in a week or two." The militant party's change of tack has shattered hopes that an 18th meeting between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri scheduled for next Monday would end the long-running stalemate over the formation of the government. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's comments, made in a televised address on Thursday, also undermine French efforts launched by President Emmanuel Macron to form a government free of political forces in order to gain the confidence of the international community and help Lebanon recover from its crippling economic and health crisis. Mustafa Alloush, a leading figure in Hariri's Future Movement, said: "There is a chance to agree on the formation of the government on Monday, but Hariri has no intention of bringing back a political government because it will inevitably fail, based on previous experience." Aoun remained firm in his demands for a government of 20 ministers with the blocking third, while Hariri seeks a government of 18 specialists. The disagreement between the two escalated on Wednesday after an exchange