Hariri set to propose unity cabinet before Sleiman goes to UN

By Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Saturday, September 05, 2009

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is expected to submit a proposal on the make-up of the national unity government to President Michel Sleiman prior to September 23, informed sources said on Friday. Meanwhile, Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) officials stressed Friday that the opposition stance was unified and no government would be formed if the FPM was excluded.

Hariri will submit a proposal on the cabinet make-up to President Sleiman prior to the latter’s trip to New York on September 23, to take part in the UN General Assembly, Future Movement officials told The Daily Star on Friday.

Future Movement MP Am­mar Houri said the premier-designate would exercise his constitutional rights related to suggesting a government line-up to Sleiman in order to conclude the formation process in cooperation with the president.

Houri added that an accord on the distribution of ministerial portfolios has “almost been finalized” between the parliamentary majority and the president, as well as opposition groups Hizbullah and Amal.

The only remaining obstacles to the cabinet’s formation were the set of conditions imposed by FPM leader MP Michel Aoun, Houri said.

Media reports said on Friday that Hariri would include in his proposal to the president his view on the distribution of ministerial portfolios among political parties.

The reports said Hariri’s proposal would assign portfolios to 25 candidates, and would leave to Aoun the freedom to nominate his ministers for the five remaining seats allotted to the FPM, counting four portfolios and a state ministry.

However, the report said, Hariri would couple his proposal with a clause which denies candidates, who lost the race to Parliament on June 7, the right to be nominated ministers, the reports said.

The press leaks added that Hariri’s proposal would be valid for 48 hours after which Hariri would form a cabinet in cooperation with Sleiman that excludes the FPM.

But FPM official and caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Aoun denied during a phone interview with The Daily Star the validity of such claims.

Aoun said the reports aimed “to pressure and weaken” the FPM, adding that the premier-designate would not attempt such a move. “Such a move is controversial and will lead to escalation,” he said.

The FPM official added that his party was in constant contact with Hizbullah and the Amal Movement, its allies in the opposition, in order coordinate “every step” with regard to the formation process.

“The president had also de­clared that he would not sign the cabinet formation decree if it is not one of national unity,” he said.

Aoun also stressed that if the FPM leader’s demands were not met by the premier-designate, “the cabinet would not be formed anytime soon.”

In support of Michel Aoun, Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi called on the premier-designate to “withdraw from the battle launched by majority Christian groups to weaken Aoun and the FPM representation in a national-unity cabinet.”

Speaking during an iftar on Friday, Moussawi stressed that Lebanon could only be governed through consensus, “since its political regime is built on sectarianism.”

On Thursday, efforts to form a cabinet hit a dead end after recent deliberations between the FPM leader’s son-in-law caretaker Telecommunication Minister Jebran Bassil and the premier-designate failed to make any breakthroughs.

Aoun is adamant that Bassil retain the telecommunications portfolio for a second term.

But Hariri and others in March 14 have strong objections to Bassil heading the ministry because he lost in the election.

Aoun also insists on getting one of the key ministerial posts, dubbed “sovereign portfolios” and which include the Interior, Defense, Finance and Foreign ministries.

The National News Agency quoted well informed sources in remarks published Friday saying that Bassil would visit Hariri at his residence in Qoreitim for another round of consultations before the Future Movement leader submits his proposal to Sleiman.

Hariri had reiterated on several occasions that while he was keen on the opposition’s participation in a unity cabinet, the opposition’s involvement ought not to be governed by preconditions.

Some Figures of the March 14 coalition had called on Hariri to form a majority cabinet if he failed to reach an agreement with opposition groups.

Separately, Tawheed Movement head Wi’am Wahhab warned on Friday against incidents similar to that of May 7, 2008, if state officials adopted a stance similar to that of May 5, 2008.

On May 7, 2008, bloody clashes erupted between pro-government and opposition supporters in Beirut and the Chouf mountainous region following a decision by the cabinet headed by Premier Fouad Siniora to dismantle Hizbullah’s telecommunication network on May 5, 2008.

In other news, Siniora said Friday the parliamentary majority was adamant to preserve Lebanon’s democratic regime, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, investigating former Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination, and coexistence among Lebanese factions.