Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s circles accused Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri of holding Miqati responsible for his alliance’s boycott of the new cabinet at a time when Hariri had already made up his mind not to participate in the government.
The circles drew question marks over Hariri’s speech on Monday in which he said March 14 waited for answers from Miqati for a month over its demands on the international tribunal and arms.
Full StoryCaretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday stressed that Hizbullah's weapons have become a "national problem" which needs a "national solution."
Hariri called on the Hizbullah-led camp to "confess that this problem has become a national problem par excellence which needs a national solution par excellence, before anything else."
Full StoryFollowing the March 14 alliance’s official decision to become the country’s new opposition, Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati now faces the difficult task of meeting the demands of some members of the March 8 forces that brought him to power.
Miqati’s circles told An Nahar daily in remarks published Monday that the premier-designate will seek to form a mixed technocrat-politicians cabinet.
Full StoryAs expected, the March 14 forces on Sunday officially announced their refusal to take part in the country's new government.
The March 14 forces "reject to legitimize the coup … and reject to turn into observers who cannot prevent violations," the coalition said in a statement recited by ex-PM Fouad Saniora after an extraordinary meeting for its 60 MPs at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut.
Full StoryCaretaker premier Saad Hariri on Sunday held phone talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Hariri and Erdogan "discussed the ongoing efforts to evacuate Lebanese citizens from Libya," the premier's press office announced in a communiqué.
Full StoryCaretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri is expected to make an important speech that would reflect the decisions reached at the March 14 lawmakers’ meeting scheduled for Sunday.
An Nahar newspaper said Hariri would make the speech on Monday afternoon.
Full StoryCaretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s sources refused to respond to the positions issued by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Thursday when he described as “silly” Hariri’s demands in return for abandoning the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
They told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Saturday that Hariri “will not forget Jumblat and his supporters’ stand after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.”
Full StoryThe 60 March 14 coalition MPs are preparing to hold a meeting at the Bristol Hotel on Sunday at 6:00 pm where they are expected to announce the camp’s final position on the participation in Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s government.
The daily An Nahar reported on Saturday that the MPs’ statement will confirm the camp’s refusal to participate in Miqati’s government “because he failed to grant it guarantees it had requested, as well as the blocking minority.”
Full StoryThe head of the Syndicate of Gas Station Owners Sami Brax announced on Friday that gasoline will be provided to all stations starting on Saturday.
He made the announcement after holding talks with Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Full StoryThe task of Premier-designate Najib Miqati to form the new government has become more difficult as President Michel Suleiman continued to hold onto the interior ministry portfolio which Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is demanding as part of his share in the cabinet.
Speaker Nabih Berri’s sources told As Safir daily that the speaker stressed to Miqati during their meeting on Wednesday to speed up the government formation process. However, Miqati’s sources said no major progress was made in solving the deadlock over the interior ministry.
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