Hariri, Suleiman Enter “Numbers Game” on Cabinet Shape-Up
Premier-designate Saad Hariri on Tuesday will plunge into serious discussions with President Michel Suleiman on the shape-up of the new Cabinet, a day after marathon consultations with the various parliamentary blocs demonstrated a semi-unanimity on openness.
Local media said daylong consultations in Parliament on Monday between Hariri and representatives of the 13 parliamentary blocs and 11 independent MPs showed semi-unanimity on openness "on all sides" – be it demands or proposals – for Cabinet formation.
They said Hariri, who did not enter the "numbers game" during Monday”s talks, will brief Suleiman Tuesday on the outcome of consultations.
The daily An Nahar said Hariri will also discuss with Suleiman the various Cabinet formulas.
Monday”s consultations ended with an agreement on establishing a government of national unity. The Opposition, however, held on to its demands for veto power and proportional representation.
Pan-Arab daily Al Hayat quoted sources from Amal Movement and Hizbullah as committing themselves to avoid talk about veto power pending outcome of ongoing regional contacts.
The majority parliamentary blocs, on the other hand, stressed the need to take legislative election results into account and insisted on rejecting veto power in the new government.
An Nahar quoted parliamentary circles as saying that the Hariri-Suleiman talks would focus on two formulas: The first gives the majority March 14 coalition 15 ministers while the Opposition 10 and 5 for the President and the second to be composed of 13 ministers for the majority, 10 for the Opposition and 7 for the President.
As Safir newspaper, for its part, quoted March 14 parliamentary sources as saying that Christian representation remains the "major knot."
They said that while the Lebanese Forces hoped to be represented by at least two ministers, the Phalange Party demanded a "respectful" representation, let alone other Christian MPs who also called for a share in the new Cabinet, particularly those representing Beirut 1 constituency.
The sources said Walid Jumblat”s Democratic Gathering bloc also wants no less than three posts in the new government — two Druze ministers and a Christian — while Gen. Michel Aoun”s Free Patriotic Movement, meanwhile, requested seven ministers given that his bloc includes 27 MPs.
Among the seven ministers Aoun is hoping to get, are four Maronites, one Druze, an Armenian and another either Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox.