Hariri Kicks Off Consultations, Aoun Says his Bloc Will Hold New Round of Talks with Hariri
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri kicked of talks with lawmakers in a fresh try to set up a unity government and break a three-month deadlock.
The most significant meeting on Thursday was with the Free Patriotic Movement bloc. FPM leader Gen. Michel Aoun said following the talks with Hariri in parliament that the two sides agreed to hold a new round of consultations.
"We had a calm discussion," Aoun told reporters. "We hope things would move fast in order to reach a solution as soon as possible."
Hariri started the consultations with a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri and then with Deputy Speaker Farid Makari.
While Berri made no comment to the press, Makari said that everyone should cooperate and make concessions for cabinet formation.
There are those who don”t want the country”s institutions to function, he said.
Following the Development and Liberation bloc”s meeting with Hariri, MP Anwar al-Khalil said: "We stressed to the PM-designate the necessity to form a unity cabinet based on the 15-10-5 formula."
He also called for the full implementation of the Taef accord.
Among those scheduled to meet with Hariri was MP Robert Ghanem, who called following the talks for abidance by the constitution and support for the PM-designate and the president in unity cabinet formation efforts.
Talks will resume at 5:00 pm with a meeting between Hariri and the Democratic Gathering bloc.
As-Safir newspaper, meanwhile, had quoted Hariri circles as saying that the premier-designate will not propose any particular cabinet formula.