No Cabinet Session this Week as Salam Adopts Wait and See Approach

Prime Minister Tammam Salam is not likely to call for a cabinet session this week to allow the rival parties to agree on ways to manage the state's affairs without clashing on the controversial issue of high-ranking officials.

An official close to Salam told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat published on Monday that Salam gave the parties two weeks to continue to hold contacts and avoid a cabinet paralysis.

Asked what options the PM had, the official said Salam has a single choice to call for a cabinet session and discuss the agenda that is being prepared by the premiership.

The official's remarks came despite a warning by Free Patriotic Movement officials that their party's ministers would not attend a cabinet session if the discussion and approval of high-ranking military and security officials are not on the agenda.

Their warning has stopped Salam from calling for a session in the past week and has threatened a cabinet paralysis.

FPM chief MP Michel Aoun warned on Saturday that the extension of the terms of the army chief and the heads of military intelligence and Internal Security Forces is illegitimate.

He has been lobbying for political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, his son-in-law, as army chief.

Parliamentary sources expected in remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper for the government to convene next week if the consultations carried out by Salam in cooperation with Speaker Nabih Berri led to positive results.

Sources told al-Akhbar daily that Berri has called on the ministers representing his Amal Movement in the cabinet to attend any session that Salam invites for even if his allies boycotted it.