Mustaqbal Warns against Wasting Momentum of New Presidential Tenure
Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday urged the political parties not to “weaken or waste” the momentum that was created by the election of a new president, noting that the Lebanese people are pinning hopes on the new presidential tenure.
“Al-Mustaqbal bloc sees that there is an available chance to achieve a correct beginning of the new presidential tenure and this chance must not be weakened or wasted,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.
“The Lebanese people are pinning hopes on the possibility of achieving a breakthrough... during this pivotal and critical period that Lebanon and the region are going through,” it added.
Accordingly, Mustaqbal hoped that “the ongoing contacts and efforts that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is conducting will result in the formation of a new government as soon as possible.”
“Essential and necessary tasks are awaiting the new government, topped by preparing and approving the 2017 state budget and contributing to the passing of a new electoral law,” the bloc said.
Michel Aoun's election as president after two and a half years of presidential void and Hariri's re-designation as premier have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin tackling challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.
In a sign that Hariri's mission as premier might not be easy, Hizbullah's MPs declined to endorse him during binding parliamentary consultations.
Hariri and Aoun are still struggling to put together a new cabinet amid conflicting demands from the political forces that are seeking to join the unity government.
Horsetrading is still revolving around the so-called services-related ministerial portfolios, mainly public works and telecommunications.
Speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp, is clinging to the finance and public works portfolios while also insisting that the Marada Movement must get a key portfolio.
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