Jumblat Hopes All Sides Would Cooperate with Hariri's Initiative on Forming Cabinet
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat hailed former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's recent position in which he said that he would not be opposed to taking part in a cabinet that includes Hizbullah as a political party, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.
He told the daily: “We hope all sides would cooperate with Hariri's initiative in order to form an all-embracing government.”
He also remarked that the initiative should serve “to open news possibilities” in the cabinet formation process.
Meanwhile, caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour told the daily that the MP is continuing his “intense” contacts with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora, and Hizbullah leaderships “in order to reach a final agreement on a government lineup.”
He highlighted Hariri's recent stance, saying that it should serve to speed up these efforts.
Discussions are focusing on the distribution of power and portfolios, “which are largely being left to Suleiman and Salam's wishes,” revealed the minister.
Hariri announced on Friday that he is showing positivity in the cabinet formation process, noting that Hizbullah is a political party that is leading a “big coalition.”
He noted that he has not offered “concessions” concerning participation in a cabinet containing Hizbullah and its allies, stressing that “according to the principle of trials, any accused is innocent until proven guilty.”
He made his reference to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon whose trial of four Hizbullah members opened this week.
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