Jumblat Discusses with Salam Cabinet Formation Efforts Amid Renewed Hizbullah Condition
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat discussed with Premier-designate Tammam Salam the latest cabinet formation efforts and an alleged Saudi go ahead to an all-embracing government despite a rejection by Hizbullah of a 24-member line-up in which the three major factions would get 8 ministers each.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper said that Jumblat visited Salam on Tuesday night to brief him on the results of the discussions that caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour held with Saudi officials in Riyadh.
Abou Faour regularly visits the Saudi capital as a PSP envoy. Jumblat, who is a centrist, has promised to facilitate the formation of the cabinet.
According to the daily, the PSP chief hailed the results of Abou Faour's discussions with Prince Abdul Aziz after Riyadh paved way for the formation of an all-embracing cabinet as called for by President Michel Suleiman.
The March 14 alliance had initially rejected Hizbullah's participation in the government over its fighting in Syria.
The Saudi green light gave some hope that the line-up would be ready soon.
But Hizbullah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Wednesday that “things were back to square one,” adding that the conditions of the March 14 coalition had not changed.
Qassem reiterated Hizbullah's demand for a government in which all political parties are represented in accordance to their weight in parliament.
An Nahar said that Hizbullah proposed a new formula of giving the March 8 and 14 alliances nine ministers each and the centrists – Suleiman, Salam and Jumblat – six ministers.
“No government can succeed unless all the parties are justly represented in it,” said Qassem.
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