Cabinet Formation Comes to Standstill over March 8 Conditions
The new cabinet is not likely to witness light before mid-May over the insistence of Shiite leaderships to name the sect's ministers in addition to another request for veto power by the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance, An Nahar newspaper reported on Wednesday.
According to An Nahar, the coalition has conditioned a 45 percent of seats in the government similar to its weight in parliament and has rejected the rotation of portfolios that Premier-designate Tammam Salam had suggested.
Informed sources also told al-Joumhouria daily that the formation of the cabinet had “gone back to square one” over the March 8 demands.
They said a meeting was held between Salam and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat in al-Msaitbeh on Sunday night to discuss the deadlock. The meeting was attended by caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour.
Another unannounced meeting was held by Salam and Hussein Khalil, the political aide of the Hizbullah chief, and Speaker Nabih Berri's aide caretaker Minister Ali Hassan Khalil.
But the talks did not resolve the crisis.
An Nahar daily quoted Baabda palace sources as saying that Salam also visited President Michel Suleiman on Monday to assess the cabinet formation process.
Salam has rejected giving the blocking third to any party, saying it would paralyze the government.
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