Lebanon near completion of a new government

Lebanese political sources said that the designated Lebanese prime minister Fouad Sanyoura is nearing the announcement of the first Lebanese government since the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from the country.

The sources said that Sanyoura agreed to a government composed of 24 ministers representing various parliamentary blocs, this, after 11 days of relentless negotiations. He is expected to meet with President Emil Lahoud today.

The sources indicated that the designated prime minister, a politician close to Saad al-Hariri, the leader of the largest bloc in a parliament with a majority opposing Syria, will announce the formation after his meeting with Lahoud, a strong supporter for Damascus, should the president has objections.

The detente came after Sanyoura agreed to demands on the distribution of ministerial bags from of his friends who oppose Syria and those who are Damascus's strong allies. He agreed to the demands set by the Shiite coalition which supports Syria, including Hizbullah and the Amal movement, to have the Lebanese foreign minister a Shiite.

The political sources said that the Shiite figure which was agreed to assume this post is former ambassador Fawzi Salloukh who is not a member in any of the main Shiite political parties.

Both Sanyoura and Saad al-Hariri agreed to demands set by Michael Aoun, whose parliamentary bloc has 21 members, to get four ministerial bags including the ministry of justice.

Hizbullah party group which harvested the voices of the Shiite in the recent Parliamentary lections and got 14 seats chose to join the government for the first time.