Lebanon's Amal bloc committed to speedy govt formation

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BEIRUT: Amal Movement MP Ali Hasan Khalil Thursday said the partys parliamentary bloc was committed to the speedy formation of a new Cabinet, after a breakthrough in the formation impasse a day earlier.

Khalil said the bloc was committed to and supported the French initiative with all its aspects, starting from the quick formation of the government to holding a conference for Lebanon to kick-start reforms.

There is a positive atmosphere regarding the formation of the government, he said after a meeting at Dar al-Fatwa.

It is in everyones interest to be optimistic," he added.

Hezbollah's Manar TV later reported that Khalil and senior Hezbollah official Hussein Khalil would be meeting Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib to push the Cabinet formation process forward.

Parliament Speaker and leader of the Amal Movement Nabih Berri was satisfied with former Prime Minister Saad Hariris decision to accept that an independent Shiite be appointed as finance minister.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Elie Ferzli said after meeting the speaker Wednesday that there were positive signs that would help end the government formation impasse, adding that Berri was no longer pessimistic about the issue.

Hariris concession Tuesday led to a breakthrough in the deadlocked Cabinet formation process, as the leading Shiite parties the Amal Movement and Hezbollah had for weeks insisted that the Finance Ministry one of the four sovereign ministries headed by people belonging to the countrys major sects be headed by a Shiite, contrary to Adibs plan to form a government of specialists in which the leadership of sovereign ministries is rotated among the major sects.

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