Opposition Carries to Suleiman “Amendments” to Cabinet Lineup
The Opposition on Wednesday carried a list of amendments to President Michel Suleiman aimed at modifying a 30-seat Cabinet lineup proposed by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and quickly rejected by the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance.
Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri is also expected to visit Suleiman at the presidential summer palace in Beiteddine as part of his weekly meetings with the head of state.
Berri, together with Druze leader Walid Jumblat, is said to be seeking to avoid a government crisis – which suggests that the Free Patriotic Movement headed by Gen. Michel Aoun and its Hizbullah ally remain the main obstacle.
Hariri on Monday announced that he presented a Cabinet lineup to Suleiman, who promised to study it.
"I presented President Michel Suleiman a national unity cabinet lineup of 30 ministers based on the 15-10-5 formula," Hariri said following talks with Suleiman.
The formula takes into consideration the sectarian balance in the country and respects the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, he said.
The daily An Nahar said a delegation representing Opposition officials informed Suleiman on Tuesday that "presenting the Cabinet lineup the way Hariri did is not his right."
"This is his Constitutional right," Suleiman replied. "You can discuss the content, however."
Suleiman”s respond prompted the delegation to demand amendments to the Cabinet list, An-Nahar reported.
The delegation met Suleiman again on Wednesday to deliver a list of amendments that were adopted at a lengthy overnight meeting grouping Hizbullah official Hussein Khalil, caretaker Telecoms Minister Jebran Bassil and AMAL MP Ali Hasan Khalil.
The delegation left Beiteddine without making any statement.
LBC TV network said that following his meeting with the delegation, Suleiman would call Hariri and inform him about the Opposition”s demands.
Voice of Lebanon radio quoted sources as saying that the Opposition would keep its condition of giving a cabinet seat to Bassil. Other sources told MTV that the majority and Hariri would reject such a demand, which would lead the PM-designate to apologize from forming a government.