Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun expects the new government to be formed by the end of the week,"if nothing extraordinary happened."

In an interview to Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper to be published on Saturday General Aoun said "We are in the last stages and on the verge of forming the cabinet and the negative atmosphere marketed in the past two days is proof that politicians involved in the formation of the government don't know what's going on.”

General Aoun said that he is in constant communication with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.
He blamed the mentality of those bickering over top posts for the delay in government formation; such a bickering "deprives the cabinet of its consensus formula."
General Aoun also said thathis foes were attacking his FPM "as if we are rivals dueling in front of electorates rather than serving them."