Amid expectations of the formation of a new cabinet in which all political forces would be represented, there was a dramatic turn of events on July 3. It was learned that following a new meeting between General Michel Aoun and Saad Hariri, the head of the Free Patriotic Current (FPC) declared that he could not be a member of the new ministerial team. The general had insisted that the Justice portfolio be given to a member of the FPC, while Hariri, head of the Future Current, was reserving this ministry for himself in order to be able to give close attention to the inquiry into the assassination of the late former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri being carried out by an international commission. Since that meeting, there has been no more talk of a cabinet of national union. To give their thoughts on the new government, here are four members of Parliament representing different groups in the legislature: Ayoub Hmayed, Marwan Fares, Ghassan Moukheiber and Mustafa Hashem.
Ayoub Hmayed: 'In favor of a cabinet of national unity'
"What we need most today", avers Amal Movement MP Ayoub Hmayed, "is to dispel all tension. There must be a new dialogue and a new approach to our problems. It's also imperative that the whole of the political class be represented in the Administration, and this requires the formation of a government of national union which alone is capable of overcoming the crisis and dealing with the problems facing the country.
"In the weeks and months to come we'll be facing many external pressures, of which the most important is that associated with UN Resolution 1559. We need also to draft a balanced election law, set up administrative decentralization and carry out a reform."
There are those who say ministers should never be members of Parliament while they are exercising ministerial responsibilities. What is your view?
I believe this experiment will be fundamental in the coming stage since it will give greater room for maneuver both to ministers and members of Parliament. MPs will have more latitude to supervise the government and judge the way public business is being conducted. "The separation of the executive and legislative powers does not necessarily signify the absence of cooperation between them. On the contrary, such cooperation is required for the public good."
Marwan Fares: 'A government representative of all political forces'
Marwan Fares, of the National Syrian Social Party (NSSP), believes that the new cabinet should be representative of the largest swathe of the population having spokesmen in Parliament. "But", he adds, "the new parliamentary majority may pronounce itself in favor of a ministerial team having only a single color.
"In such a case, the opposition that may be formed should prepare a clear program of action, as should the government. In this way, the democratic process will take place on a sound basis in accordance with constitutional rules.
"Those who won the legislative elections should have full freedom to take part in the cabinet, always respecting the principles and rules set down in the Constitution.
"It's important to keep the Constitution firmly in mind since it is the only way of dispelling the confessional and sectarian discourse that was so rampant during the election campaign. We need to put an end to confessional discourse on the part of all who represent the people."
Are you in favor of excluding members of Parliament from cabinet posts?
Excluding MPs from cabinet posts is less important than ensuring that ministers are men of transparency and that they are capable of dealing with issues that must be tackled effectively, especially economic issues. Exclusion of MPs from ministerial responsibilities is something we see less and less often in the world.
Ghassan Moukheiber: 'In favor of excluding MPs from ministerial posts'
Ghassan Moukheiber, MP for North Metn, thinks it is imperative to form a government of national union 15 years after conclusion of the Taef Agreement, which has been applied in a selective manner. No government of this nature has been formed since the end of the war. "It is necessary," he argues, "to set up such a cabinet, in which all sides that recently came onto the political scene should take part, at the head of which are the Free Patriotic Current and the Lebanese Forces.
"I would like all members of the cabinet to be outside the legislature, since in this case they would be more likely to achieve essential political and administrative reforms.
"Whatever forces are represented within the Administration, they must draw up a clear reform program as a matter of urgency and fixed a timetable for its implementation. I consider that the exclusion of MPs from ministerial posts is a principal reform to be undertaken since it would have the result of making ministers devote more time making decisions on the business of their departments without referring to parliamentary blocs they might belong to.
"It's equally important to overcome the sequels of the election campaign and conform to the logic of the state, especially at this particularly difficult stage, in which we have to consider the options of the World Bank and the European Union as well as the international agenda, particularly in regard to Resolution 1559, from the angle of their repercussions on the domestic agenda."
Mustafa Hashem: 'For a cabinet in conformity with the Taef Agreement'
Mustafa Hashem, MP for the Future Current (pro-Hariri), recalls that his parliamentary bloc, the largest in the Chamber, envisages a national project aimed at consolidating national unity and achieving balanced development.
"Any government that approves this project will have the unreserved support of the Future Current. Sheikh Saad Hariri has already given proof of his good faith and readiness to cooperate with all sides."
MP Hashem recalled that the polls took place in a democratic atmosphere, with citizens expressing their options without constraint or pressure.
"We respect the opinion of the voters, and any candidate elected represents the will of the people. That is why we hold out our hand to all sides, on the basis of the constant principles defined and enshrined by the Taef Agreement.
"The Future Current poses no veto against any political personality and in its action it takes inspiration from the program whose broadlines were established by the Bristol Front, whose principal objectives are: full application of the Taef Agreement; protection of the Resistance; and prevention of the implantation of the Palestinians."
What is your position on the question of whether MPs should hold cabinet posts?
This matter is somewhat complex. We approve it in principle, since excluding MPs from cabinet posts would make possible better supervision of the way the Executive manages public business. But after Taef handed the executive authority to the full Council of Ministers, ministers have become politicians par excellence, not only technocrats. That doesn't mean that a minister must necessarily be a member of the legislature to do a successful job. There are outside the Parliament, men of great of competence who are quite able to assume cabinet responsibilities.
Monday Morning 2005
