Lebanon's Aoun, Hariri trade blame over new government

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's President Michel Aoun meets with Lebanese political leaders to present the plan aimed at steering the country out of a financial crisis, at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon May 6, 2020. Dalati Nohra/Handout via REUTERS

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri traded blame on Monday over a delay in the formation of a new government, casting further doubt on whether the badly needed cabinet will be agreed soon.

Four months since Lebanon's last government quit in the wake of a huge explosion in Beirut port in August, the main parties have been unable to agree on a cabinet even as the country sinks deeper into a crippling financial crisis.