Hariri will form cabinet “based on constitutional norms”
Caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Thursday that Premier-designate Saad Hariri would pursue his efforts to form a national-unity cabinet in accordance with constitutional norms which governed the formation process. Following talks with President Michel Sleiman, Siniora told reporters “matters had not matured enough with regard to the formation of a cabinet” nevertheless efforts to reach an agreement should be pursued.
Tackling the timing of the cabinet’s formation, Siniora, who voiced hope for the prompt conclusion of the process, said it could be concluded any day during Ramadan.
Siniora also urged to halt provocative political rhetoric in order to facilitate Hariri’s task, adding that obstacles were to be resolved by the premier-designate given “a will by some parties to facilitate the process.”
Also, speaking during the inauguration of the state’s new criminology laboratory, Siniora praised the achievements of the Lebanese Army and security forces as well as the efforts of Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud in securing the country’s stability and urged them to develop their capacities on all levels.
Separately, Sleiman stressed Thursday on the need to discuss the prisons’ conditions in the government to implement necessary measures to avoid incidents like last Tuesday’s and improve the prisoners living conditions.
On Tuesday, eight detainees of Al-Qaeda inspired Fatah al-Islam group attempted to escape the Roumieh prison facility but only Taha Hajj Suleiman succeeded before he was recaptured in the nearby woods of Bsalim Village by Lebanese Army commandos.
Following a meeting with US Ambassador Michele Sison, Sleiman called for providing the Lebanese Army and the security forces with the necessary equipment to support their mission in establishing domestic security and foreign defense.
In remarks published in As-Safir newspaper Thursday, Sleiman said the formation of the cabinet had been delayed due to domestic obstacles rather than foreign intervention. According to As-Safir, Sleiman hinted at “high-level” demands by some domestic parties regarding the distribution of portfolios and nomination of candidates.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hizbullah’s number two, said Thursday his party expressed its commitment to the 15-10-5 cabinet formula which guaranteed national-unity. “Nevertheless Hizbullah did not make any promises with regard to other issues.”
Qassem said Hizbullah cooperated with Hariri to facilitate an agreement on the cabinet’s structure, adding that it was Hariri’s responsibility to discuss the distribution of ministerial portfolios and the nomination of candidates separately with each political party. “The task to form a cabinet shifted completely to the premier-designate who should discuss with each parliamentary bloc whether in the opposition or the majority an agreement on its share and its candidates,” he added.
Tackling the timing of the cabinet’s formation, Qassem urged all parties to benefit from the atmosphere of domestic consensus and political stability to conclude the process quickly, saying provocative political rhetoric could delay the government’s formation several months.
“We urge each party to take responsibility for its actions rather than shift blame on others because accusations hampered the formation of a cabinet which necessitated dialogue and deliberations,” Qassem said.
Meanwhile, March 14 MPs reiterated on Thursday their accusations to Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun of hampering the cabinet’s formation.
In response, the FPM issued a statement accusing several Future Movement MPs of “fabricating lies” in order to cover up for their political party’s” scandals.” The statement underlined that Aoun’s criticism of Hariri’s performance with regard to the cabinet’s formation did not target the Sunnis in Lebanon.