Cabinet Crisis Back to Square One, Intense Consultations Expected to Gather Pace to Name a PM-designate
Intense meetings among majority politicians from one side and opposition members on the other are expected to precede consultations that President Michel Suleiman will launch with parliamentary blocs to name a premier-designate following Saad Hariri”s decision to step down.
Beirut media agreed Friday that the cabinet crisis went to square one after Hariri decided to bow out, citing opposition obstacles.
Majority circles have hinted that if Hariri was named premier again, he would change the rules of the game and even the 15-10-5 formula that all politicians previously agreed on.
Suleiman, meanwhile, is expected to return from Beiteddine to Baabda palace over the weekend and set a date for two days of consultations which could start early next week.
Sources close to Hariri told An Nahar that the MP is now assessing the next stage and has launched consultations with his bloc and will hold a series of talks with his allies in the March 14 forces to see whether to accept a new nomination or not.
Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc is also expected to hold a meeting soon to announce its stance from a possible Hariri reappointment. Such talks would most probably be followed by a meeting of majority forces.
On the opposition front, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun returned to Beirut Thursday night and As Safir said that a tripartite meeting could be held between Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. MP Suleiman Franjieh could also join the three opposition leaders if he decides to cut his trip short and return to Beirut.
Meanwhile, al-Liwaa daily ruled out a new cabinet formation before end of October. It quoted political circles as expecting the crisis to continue until a solution is reached on the regional level.