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No Sign of New Cabinet as Lebanese Leaders Meet, Bank Curbs Continue

Reuters

   BEIRUT - Lebanon's outgoing Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri met President
   Michel Aoun on Thursday without announcing progress towards forming a
   new government, and banking sources said most financial transfers out
   of the country remained blocked.

   Already facing the worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war,
   Lebanon has been pitched deeper into turmoil since Oct. 17 by a wave of
   protests against the ruling elite that led Hariri to resign as prime
   minister on Oct. 29.

   Banks reopened on Friday after a two-week closure but customers have
   encountered restrictions on transfers abroad and withdrawals of hard
   currency.

   A banking source said that generally all international transfers were
   still being blocked bar some exceptions such as foreign mortgage
   payments and tuition fees. A second banking source said restrictions
   had gotten tighter.

   Hariri has been holding closed-door meetings with other factions in the
   outgoing coalition cabinet over how the next government should be
   formed, but there have been no signs of movement towards an agreement.

   Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he wanted Hariri to be nominated as
   prime minister again. Under Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system,
   the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite
   Christian and the speaker a Shi'ite.