BEIRUT, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's cabinet formation is delayed by the power distribution, plunging the country into a political deadlock, local experts say.
"Lebanon is currently in a dark tunnel, and the French initiative is gone due to the political class's insistence on adopting the approach of quotas in government formation," Assaad Bechara, a political advisor to former Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, told Xinhua.
Sami Nader, director of Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs in Lebanon, told Xinhua the deadlock will continue in the coming period as political parties are not likely to compromise on their stances.
Lebanon is in dire need for a government capable of pursuing the French initiative by implementing structural reforms to unlock funds by donors' countries and save the country from its current collapse.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri has, on many occasions, reiterated his insistence on forming a government of nonpartisan and efficient specialists without returning to the old approaches in government formation which have brought the country to the current situation.
Hariri recently visited President Michel Aoun with a list of 18 ministers, but the meeting went very fast reflecting Aoun's rejection of Hariri's proposed government and his insistence on naming Christian ministers in the government.
"The political class did not learn from past experiences and it is still adopting an approach of dividing power shares among them instead of appointing independent specialists who can lead the country properly," Bechara said.
Meanwhile, Nader believes that Hezbollah is hindering cabinet formation because the main condition imposed by the United States to help Lebanon is the formation of a government that does not include Hezbollah.
Lebanon has been facing its worst economic and financial collapse amid shortage in foreign currency reserves and the default of the country on its huge public debt. Enditem