Miqati Promises Berri to Put off Announcement of De Facto Cabinet Amid Full Discretion on New Proposal

Premier-designate Najib Miqati has for now shelved efforts to form a de facto government and vowed to give the cabinet formation process more time after talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and other mediators.

As part of intensified efforts to end the row between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and President Michel Suleiman over the interior ministry portfolio, Miqati met Thursday night with Berri, Jumblat, the speaker’s advisor MP Ali Hassan Khalil, and Hussein Khalil, a political aide to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Miqati also held talks with former MP Nazem Khoury, a political adviser to Suleiman, to discuss new ideas to end the deadlock. Baabda palace sources refused to discuss the details of the proposal, but told As Safir newspaper that “things began to heat up.”

Berri told An Nahar daily after his meeting with Miqati that he “won’t say a word.” But the newspaper said that the speaker will continue his efforts to bring the viewpoints of different parties closer.

As for Jumblat, he said his talks with the prime minister-designate focused on “the formation of the government which has become necessary at the level of the economy, politics, security and the region.”

According to An Nahar, Jumblat tasked Caretaker Minister Ghazi Aridi with making the necessary contacts to contribute to the cabinet formation process.

Despite the meetings held between Miqati and the different parties in the past 24 hours, informed sources told the newspaper that each side is still holding onto its stance.

But the biggest achievement for the premier-designate was his promise to Berri to hold off the announcement of a de facto cabinet, they said.

According to Aoun’s circles, the FPM leader reacted positively to a new proposal by mediators of new names to head the interior ministry to replace Caretaker Minister Ziad Baroud.

According to al-Liwaa, three personalities are suggested as possible interior ministers but the involved officials have vowed full secrecy to guarantee the success of the initiative.