Saniora”s New Challenge: Cabinet Formation
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, who was asked to form a new national unity government, is now facing a tough task as the majority and opposition compete over cabinet seats.
An Nahar daily on Thursday quoted majority and opposition parliamentary sources as saying Saniora will face "a tough journey in the process of cabinet formation."
The Parliament Secretariat said in a statement Wednesday night that the newly-appointed prime minister would start consultations in parliament at 1:30pm Friday.
The Premier-designate would, however, make his customary visits to former prime ministers, including Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun, on Thursday.
Lebanon”s new president Michel Suleiman on Wednesday asked Saniora to form the cabinet despite reservations by the Hizbullah-led opposition.
In his first comments following his appointment, Saniora called on Lebanese to "heal the wounds" of the past and pledged to try and form a government for all of Lebanon.
"I extend my hand for cooperation and solidarity so that our country can achieve the breakthroughs it deserves," he said at Baabda Palace.
He also thanked lawmakers who nominated him and MPs who did not nominate him for taking part in the constitutional process and said he looked forward to ushering the nation into a new era of constitutional rule.
He said he looked forward to cordial relations with foreign countries, including Syria and pledged implementation of all U.N. Security Council Resolutions.
Under the Arab-brokered Doha deal, which ended the Lebanese crisis, the parliamentary majority gets 16 ministers, while the agreement allotted the opposition 11 seats and three seats are to be distributed by the president.
The same majority and opposition sources told An Nahar that the interior ministry will be probably headed by a minister from the president”s share.
If that is the case, then the foreign, defense, finance and justice ministries will equally go to the majority and opposition.