Speaker Nabih Berri warned he would carry out parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister if a 30-day constitutional period ends without finalizing the cabinet policy statement.
"There is absolutely no reason for this delay" in drafting the ministerial statement, Berri said in remarks published by the daily As Safir on Monday.
"Time is passing by at the expense of the country”s peace and stability," Berri warned.
"The 30-day constitutional period is nearing an end," he cautioned, "and based on our commitment to the constitution, we will ask President Michel Suleiman to call for (parliamentary) consultations if the period expires" without finalizing the policy statement.
Berri reiterated a proposal calling for adoption of clauses from the previous cabinet policy statement concerning the "role of the resistance" in addition to Security Council Resolution 1701 to facilitate drafting the new government”s ministerial statement.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra expected the policy statement to be announced on Monday evening.
In an interview with NBN TV late Sunday, Abu Jamra said that economic reforms remained to be discussed.
He said Saniora was dynamically working on speeding up the drafting of the ministerial statement.