Center House Sources Slam Bassil for Setting Consultations Date
A political source close to the Center House on Friday criticized Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil for announcing a date for the binding parliamentary consultations aimed at picking a new PM.
“Minister Bassil set a date for the consultations before the President’s move in this regard and he spoke on behalf of the premier who will be designated, announcing that the government’s formation will be quick,” the source lamented in remarks reported by Lebanese TV networks.
“Minister Bassil is trying to repair his situation at the expense of the jurisdiction of others, and if he truly wants to offer a favor to the presidential tenure and the presidency, he must request a vacation from making statements,” the source added.
Informed sources meanwhile told al-Jadeed TV that caretaker PM Saad Hariri did not commit to anything other than agreeing to the nomination of ex-minister Mohammed Safadi during his meeting with the political aides of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday.
Hariri endorsed Safadi because “the other parties did not accept anyone other than him although Hariri proposed several candidates,” the sources said.
“Hariri wants to quickly wrap up the caretaker phase, that’s why we have committed to naming Safadi, but we have not committed to taking part in the government pending designation and our knowledge of the shape of the expected government,” the sources added.
Bassil had earlier on Friday announced that Safadi “has agreed to being designated premier should his nomination win the approval of the main political forces that constitute the (resigned) government.”
“Should things move forward normally, the consultations are expected to begin on Monday after which Safadi will be designated, or else we will remain in the procrastination square pending an agreement on a premiership candidate,” Bassil added.
Asked about the period that the formation of the new government will take, the FPM chief said: “It should not be a long period, seeing as the main political forces are convinced that there is a need to speed up the formation of a government that can pull the country out of its crisis.”
Source: Naharnet
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