Geagea Says LF will Rename Hariri, Opposition Against Cabinet for Regional Considerations
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Thursday that the LF will name MP Saad Hariri as its choice for prime minister when the president launches a new round of consultations with parliamentary blocs.
Following Hariri”s decision to bow out as premier-designate on Thursday, President Michel Suleiman will have to start consultations from scratch with lawmakers on naming a new premier.
Geagea also said during a chat with reporters in Maarab that Hariri was "generous" with the opposition in his proposed 30-member cabinet lineup on Monday. But, he added that some March 8 coalition members do not want a government to be formed for regional considerations, including Iran, strained Syrian-Iraqi ties, stagnant relations between Damascus and Riyadh and the issue of the international tribunal.
The LF leader met with Italian ambassador Gabriele Checchia who said that the Lebanese are hoping for the formation of a new cabinet as soon as possible.
Checchia told reporters in Maarab that neither his country nor the European Union interfere in Lebanon”s internal affairs.