Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has ruled out the presence of “foreign obstacles” hindering the formation of the new government. In remarks on Thursday, Hariri said: “There are no external obstacles but internal ones; and they can be solved.” “Now we opened the turbo to form a government as soon as possible. And we will certainly gather everyone, it is my duty to do so,” he added. Member of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun said that with Hariri’s announcement, the formation of the cabinet should be completed within days. Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat said that the political blocs were now dealing with the issue with a more “realistic approach”. “Difficult demands have declined and the serious phase has begun,” the sources said, adding that officials were studying the means to fairly distribute the ministerial portfolios, revealing a solution to the Christian obstacle by granting the Lebanese Forces (LF) four ministries, including two key portfolios, while the position of deputy premier is given to the FPM and President Michel Aoun. However, stances recently made by LF officials underlined the party’s attachment to its demand regarding the deputy premier’s post. “Let the deputy PM be in exchange for the ministry of defense or the ministry of foreign affairs, or let them form a government the way they want,” a senior LF official told Asharq Al-Awsat. Alain Aoun, for his part, emphasized that his party would not relinquish the post of deputy prime minister, saying: “Now we are more committed to it than we were before, while respecting the Lebanese Forces’ right to ask for what they want.” “We will not veto their demands, but we are sticking to ours,” he added. With regards to the Druze share in the government, the president and the FPM are still insisting on granting former Minister Talal Arslan a ministerial portfolio, while the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Jumblat, has reiterated his bloc’s right to have the full share of the Druze community, which is represented by three ministries, based on the gains made in the parliamentary elections. Well-informed sources said the Druze obstacle would possibly be resolved by granting Jumblat a “key Christian ministry.”