Hariri Meets Suleiman; Vows to Continue “Positive” Negotiations to Shape a “Capable” Cabinet
Premier-designate Saad Hariri on Tuesday held serious discussions with President Michel Suleiman on the shape-up of the new Cabinet, a day after marathon consultations with parliamentary blocs ended with an agreement for a national unity government.
Emerging from the talks, Hariri said he briefed the president on the outcome of Monday”s negotiations which the premier-designate described as "positive."
"The next stage will address the distribution of portfolios and the appropriate form of government that will serve the best interest of citizens and alleviate their hardships," Hariri said.
He said that all the parliamentary blocs "adopted positive positions on the cabinet”s make-up."
"We will continue in this positive climate to reach a government shape-up capable of rising up to the challenges," Hariri added.
He said the Baabda meeting mainly focused on the security situation in Lebanon and the challenges the country was facing.
"I briefed (Suleiman) on the security situation in Beirut and called on security forces to arrest the culprits," in Sunday”s deadly street clashes, Hariri told reporters.
The parliamentarians on Monday were united on the need for a "capable" government, especially if Lebanon "suffers any kind of Israeli aggression," Hariri added.
An Nahar however had quoted parliamentary circles as saying 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 asked for no less than three posts in the new government — two Druze ministers and a Christian — while Gen. Michel Aoun”s Free Patriotic Movement 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.
Other media said Monday”s daylong consultations showed semi-unanimity on openness "on all sides" – be it demands or proposals – for Cabinet formation.
They said Hariri did not enter the "numbers game" during the talks.
The daily An Nahar had said Hariri was expected to discuss with Suleiman a number of power-sharing formulas.
The consultations ended with an agreement on establishing a government of national unity. The Opposition, however, held on to its demands for veto power or proportional representation.
Pan-Arab daily Al Hayat quoted sources from Amal Movement and Hizbullah as saying the two parties were committed to avoiding talk about veto power pending the 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.