Efforts to form unity government continue

Hariri and Aoun cite difficulties in reaching agreement

 

BEIRUT: Both Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun said on Monday that the government formation process still faced difficulties, while adding that further deliberations were needed to complete the procedure. Following talks headed by President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Presidential Palace, both leaders stressed that the meeting was an opportunity “to break the ice” and thus launch serious discussions to form a unity cabinet. 

Hariri, who thanked Sleiman for sponsoring the meeting, underlined that he would maintain contacts with Aoun to speed up the formation process. 

“The dialogue was honest, clear and the ice was broken like General Aoun described it,” Hariri told reporters at the Baabda Palace. 

For his part, Aoun said the meeting was “an opportunity to initiate dialogue to form a cabinet”; “nevertheless obstacles are still big,” the former Lebanese Army chief added. 

Aoun told reporters that he would travel “for a few days,” adding that FPM officials would follow up dialogue with Hariri. 

When asked about whether he would visit the premier-designate after he returns to Beirut, Aoun expressed openness to meet with Hariri at his residence in Qoreitem. 

Aoun had rejected in August an invitation for lunch by Hariri, saying he would not visit the premier-designate before Future Movement officials stop attacking him in the media. 

During an iftar banquet on Friday, Hariri expressed readiness to meet with Aoun at Baabda Palace or at the Parliament headquarters and informed Sleiman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri of his decision. 

“Lebanon’s interests are above any politician personal interests,” Hariri said. 

Baabda Palace was regarded by Aoun and Hariri asa  neutral location to meet as the FPM leader accepted Sleiman’s invitation following Hariri’s proposal. 

Meanwhile, Aoun’s ally in the opposition, head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc Mohammad Raad, said on Sunday his party welcomed the direct contact between Hariri and Aoun to reach an agreement on the distribution of ministerial portfolios. 

Raad said the formation of a national-unity cabinet could not take place given an atmosphere of controversial political rhetoric and fiery speeches. 

The MP stressed that his party was not a mediator between Aoun and Hariri, adding that the FPM was entitled to express its demands concer-ning the distribution of portfolios and the nomination of candidates. 

“If no foreign intervention obstructs the formation process, we believe the domestic complications would not delay the process,” Raad added. 

Separately, Hizbullah’s official in south Lebanon Sheikh Nabil Qaouk said speeding up the formation process was “less costly than any other alternative,” adding that only the Israeli enemy benefited from the delay. 

Speaking during the opening of Imam Hussein complex in the southern town of Zahrani on Monday, Qaouk said delaying the formation of a cabinet would not alter the balance of power among Lebanese groups. 

“No matter how long it takes, the dialogue would only end in consensus and Hizbullah wants to speed up the process,” Qaouk said, stressing that no party could disregard the representational size of the FPM. 

Also tackling the cabinet formation process, the Phalange Party stressed on Monday the premier-designate and the president’s constitutional prerogatives with regard to the formation process. 

The party’s statement called for the prompt formation of a national-unity cabinet while adding that attempts to overthrow the outcome of the June 7 polls would fail. 

 

Parliamentary majority urges cabinet based on  Constitution

Elias Sakr 

Daily Star staff 

 

BEIRUT: The parliamentary majority stressed Monday on the need to form a cabinet in accordance with constitutional laws and voiced “strong” support for Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s task in shaping one. 

Lawmakers met at Hariri’s residence in Qoreitem. Deliberations were attended by 67 MPs including Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader MP Walid Jumblatt and MP Michel Murr. MPs Robert Fadel and Khodr Habib did  not attend the meeting because they were abroad. Former Prime Minister MP Najib Mikati and MP Ahmad Karami did not make it to the meeting either. However, the two had issued a statement earlier on Monday praising Hariri’s effort to form a government. 

Speaking during an iftar banquet on Monday, Hariri stressed that Monday’s meeting of the parliamentary majority “demonstrated that the March 14 Forces are still unified.” 

“The March 14 group remains a unified body despite minor problems faced, which could be easily solved,” Hariri told his visitors. 

Jumblatt’s presence at the meeting eliminated all speculations over the fate of the parliamentary majority. 

In early August, Jumblatt said his alliance with the March 14 Forces “was driven by necessity and must end.” 

However, the PSP leader had reiterated on several occasions his support for Hariri’s role as the head of cabinet and stressed that his Democratic Gathering bloc MPs as well as the PSP’s three ministers’ share in the cabinet were part of the parliamentary majority. 

A statement issued after the parliamentary majority’s meeting underlined the need to commit to the constitutional laws with regard to the cabinet’s formation rather than “transform exceptional precedents to constitutional texts,” a reference to the 2008 Doha Accord. 

The Doha accord led to the election of President Michel Sleiman and the formation of a unity cabinet which granted the opposition veto power. The accord followed two years of political stalemate after Hizbullah and Amal Movement Shiite ministers withdrew from the cabinet following the summer 2006 war with Israel. 

On May 7, 2008, bloody clashes between pro-government and opposition groups erupted after a move by the government then headed by current caretaker Premier Fouad Siniora to dismantle Hizbullah’s private telecommunication network. 

“The parliamentary majority will pursue its efforts to form a national-unity cabinet which guarantees real partnership for all political parties but without overlooking the outcome of the June 7 polls,” the statement said. 

The alliance voiced support for Hariri in his task to form a government and urged him to pursue his efforts “in accordance with Lebanon’s interests and democratic regime.” 

The parliamentary majority MPs slammed attempts to distort the constitution in order to make political and sectarian gains. 

They added that that the “open-minded” behavior adopted by the parliamentary majority with regard to the formation of a unity cabinet “is not imposed by the Constitution but rather emanates from our national [concern] to face future challenges.” 

Over the last week, March 14 figures have reiterated on several occasions that Hariri’s constitutional prerogatives grant him in cooperation with the president the final say on cabinet’s make-up. 

“The majority’s openness to form a national-unity cabinet does not grant any political party the right to impose conditions on the president or the premier-designate since both leaders according to the constitution are entitled to form the government and issue its decree,” the statement said. 

The lawmakers underlined their commitment to the Taif agreement as a guarantee for coexistence among Lebanon’s sectarian constituents. 

“The agreement established the basis to develop a democratic regime and instituted the equal distribution of powers between Christians and Muslims,” the statement said. 

The parliamentary majority MPs also called on political groups to preserve the country’s best interests based on its constitution and democratic principles which secured Lebanon’s stability, freedom and power alternation. 

Tackling the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in charge with investigating Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination, the attendants urged the Lebanese to refrain from exploiting the issue for domestic political purposes. 

Former head of General Security Jamil al-Sayyed accused on Sunday the premier-designate along with some judges and officers of falsifying evidence in the assassination case. 

Sayyed said that the prime-minister designate had “no right to claim justice” from the STL, “when he approved of people making baseless accusations and falsifying facts for four consecutive years.” 

Sayyed was among four top generals who were released in April after four years in custody in connection with Hariri’s assassination, none has ever been formally charged.