Opposition Submits Demands to Suleiman Amid a Tendency by Hariri to Step Down as PM-designate
PM-designate Saad Hariri is expected to resign the task of forming a government in the next few hours following the opposition”s demands among other things to increase the Free Patriotic Movement”s shares and bring back Jebran Bassil to the telecommunications ministry.
Information received by Naharnet said an opposition delegation that visited President Michel Suleiman Wednesday afternoon made three demands on the cabinet lineup.
The demands are: Increasing the FPM”s share from 4 to 5 portfolios, allocating the energy and telecommunications ministries to the FPM rather than getting the culture and public works ministries and finally naming Bassil telecommunications minister.
The delegation included Hizbullah official Hussein Khalil, caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil and Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil.
Information received by Naharnet said Hariri was informed about the opposition”s demands and there is a tendency by the premier-designate to resign the task of forming the government.
Hariri will most probably visit Suleiman on Wednesday night and inform him about his failure to form the government. The PM-designate would also make public the reasons for such a decision, including "obstacles" that hindered the cabinet formation.