On Tuesday, June 11, it would have been two months since Tammam Salam was designated as a prime minister and tasked with forming a new Lebanese cabinet.

For two months now, the PM-designate has failed to devise a ministerial lineup due to the ongoing political polarization.

Lately, the extension of the incumbent parliament’s term has contributed in exacerbating the stalemate as the cabinet formation process is now hinging on the Constitutional Council’s decision on whether to accept the two challenges submitted by President Michel Sleiman and the Free Patriotic Movement. In this regard, sources close to Salam told MTV that the the council’s verdict is likely to be announced on Wednesday utmost.

Therefore, the cabinet’s shape is pending the Constitutional Council’s decision: if the challenges are to be approved, Salam will form an “elections” government, whereas a political one would be devised if they were rejected.

An “elections” cabinet is unlikely to pose any problems. However, the formation of a political government would be hindered by outpouring conditions.

Sources close to the PM-designated stressed that Salam still holds on to his rejection of granting any party veto power, noting that he has set a deadline for himself to form the cabinet. Once he surpasses the set deadline, Salam will take a decisive stance.

March 14 forces have been pressuring Salam to speed up the cabinet formation process, while clinging on to its rejection of granting March 8 coalition veto power and adopting the famous “army-people-resistance” trilogy.

In this framework, the Lebanese Kataeb Party urged Salam to quickly resolve the matter and form a cabinet that can face the current political, security and social crises in the country. The party also warned against a plan to keep Salam as a premier-designate to obstruct matters and keep the country without a cabinet through linking the government's formation to other infinite issues.

The ‘loudest’ statement remains that expressed by the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who said that Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam should form the new Cabinet this week or else step down and make way for someone else to fulfill the task.