Rush for Cabinet Formation Ahead of Army Day as Officials Wrangle on Services Portfolios
Government formation has now moved to the advanced stage of allocation of ministerial portfolios as both majority and opposition wrangle to get the important services seats.
An Nahar daily said Thursday that exceptional efforts are being made to choose the ministers ahead of Army Day on August 1. However, the newspaper said that "the rate of success seems limited" since all political forces want to claim the services portfolios after agreeing on the defense, foreign, interior and finance ministries.
Lack of detailed agreement with Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun on his share will also most probably hinder cabinet formation before Saturday. Aoun said Wednesday night that not a single official had consulted with him on the agreed government formula.
According to al-Liwaa, Aoun has criticized his allies, including Hizbullah, for not consulting with him on the 15-10-5 formula reached for cabinet formation. He reportedly said that he will not participate in the government if PM-designate Saad Hariri doesn”t personally discuss with him about his share. The FPM leader has been calling for proportional representation.
An Nahar reported that both majority and opposition sources said there was no possibility to form a government before five days or at least a week.
Both Speaker Nabih Berri and Hariri said Wednesday that Lebanese politicians have agreed on the shape of a new coalition cabinet and will complete the allocation of ministerial portfolios within days.
As Safir daily hinted the agreement came after Saudi-Syrian contacts resulted in a deal under which Saudi King Abdullah would visit Damascus in the aftermath of the official announcement of cabinet formation.
The newspaper said Hariri, President Michel Suleiman and Berri would be among the guests welcoming Abdullah at Damascus airport.
According to Al-Liwaa, the political assistants of Berri and Hizbullah leader, Ali Hassan Khalil and Hussein Khalil, have lately visited Damascus which urged them to give up demands for veto power and let the president”s share (5 seats) in cabinet have the final say.
In the previous government, Hizbullah and its allies had 11 out of 30 seats — enabling them to have veto power over major decisions.
Al-Liwaa said Aoun is wrangling with Hariri over the telecommunications portfolio which the FPM leader wants to give to Jebran Bassil again, while MP Walid Jumblat wants the public works ministry, eyed by the Lebanese Forces.
MP Suleiman Franjieh is also demanding the health portfolio which now belongs to Berri”s Amal movement.
Amid quarrel over cabinet seats, intensive consultations continued.
Informed sources did not rule out to pan-Arab daily al-Hayat a meeting that would bring together Aoun, Berri and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to deal with the demands of the FPM leader and agree on portfolios.
An Nahar said that opposition representatives held a meeting Wednesday night during which they discussed allocation of seats. Hariri also continued his consultations by meeting with LF leader Samir Geagea at a time when Aoun was holding talks with Ali Hassan Khalil and Hussein Khalil on the shares of the opposition in the new cabinet.