Attempts by some political parties to pressure Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri into normalizing relations with Syria have further complicated the government formation process, which is deadlocked by disputes among several parties on portfolios and shares. Officials following up Hariri’s consultations on the next cabinet, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that ties with Syria have been added to the obstacles facing Hariri. However, the Free Patriotic Movements caretaker Minister of State for Presidency Affairs Pierre Raffoul told a local radio station that Hariri’s outright rejection of establishing relations with the regime of Bashar Assad is not considered an obstacle to government formation. Caretaker Justice Minister Salim Jreissati, also an FPM official, threw the ball in Hariri’s court when tweeting that the month of August could witness a solution to the “government captivity” if Hariri makes his choices. Yet the obstacles remained even when the PM-designate proposed several solutions, al-Mustaqbal MP Nazih Najem told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said that the stalemate is the result of attempts by some parties to make gains rather than work for the interest of the country and the people. “The greatest share should go to the Lebanese people who have elected their representatives,” Najem told the daily. Democratic Gathering lawmaker Bilal Abdullah also warned that promises made by Lebanese officials would disappear into thin air, if some politicians continued to interfere in Hariri’s mission to come up with a line-up. The premier-designate warned last week that “the cabinet will not be formed” if the normalization of relations with the Syrian regime is included in the new governments policy statement.