Opposition Accepts Hariri”s Proposal Paving Way for Cabinet Formation
Lebanon”s opposition has agreed to "go ahead with the formation of a national unity cabinet," paving way for Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to propose a cabinet lineup to President Michel Suleiman in the coming hours.
The decision came on Friday night during a meeting attended by Speaker Nabih Berri, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun, Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil, MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hussein Khalil and Wafiq Safa.
"The conferees agreed to go ahead with the formation of the national unity cabinet based on the agreements reached during negotiations" carried out by Hariri with different factions, said a statement issued by the opposition members following their four-hour meeting.
The opposition leaders also expressed "hope that this step would bring good for Lebanon and its people."
The new 30-minister cabinet is set to include 15 ministers from Hariri”s coalition, 10 from the opposition, and five, including the key interior and defense portfolios, will be nominated by President Michel Suleiman.
An Nahar newspaper said Hariri had proposed that the FPM and its allies get the telecom, energy, industry and tourism portfolios and a state minister.
As for Speaker Nabih Berri, he would get the foreign and health portfolio and most probably the youth and sports ministry. Hizbullah”s share would include the agriculture and administrative reform ministries, according to the newspaper.
Hariri was nominated as prime minister-designate after his coalition”s victory in the June 7 parliamentary elections.
He has spent more than four months trying to broker a deal with the opposition to join the unity cabinet. However, he faced many obstacles, including demands by Aoun for his son-in-law Bassil to retain the telecom portfolio.
A majority leader told al-Liwaa newspaper that the Iranian and Syrian green light quickened the formation of the government after Hizbullah pressured Aoun. However, a top FPM official denied any foreign link to the latest political developments or to Bassil”s visit to Damascus.