Progress Made in Govt Formation Talks as Miqati Meets Envoys of Aoun, Nasrallah, Berri
Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati held talks Wednesday at his residence in Verdun with caretaker Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil, Speaker Nabih Berri's political aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's political aide Hussein Khalil.
The quadrilateral meeting managed to achieve some progress concerning the cabinet formation process, Free Patriotic Movement's mouthpiece OTV reported. "But that does not mean that the cabinet will see light soon despite the positive atmospheres," the TV station noted.
It also quoted official sources as saying that "major obstacles are still hindering the process and things are still unclear."
For its part, Hizbullah's Al-Manar television said Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat held phone talks with Miqati and Berri on the latest developments concerning the formation process.
Jumblat has stressed that progress has been made, especially regarding the names of the three candidates nominated for the interior ministry portfolio, Al-Manar reported.
Meanwhile, LBC TV network reported that a retired Internal Security Forces officer was chosen as the candidate for the interior ministry portfolio following intensive negotiations, "the thing that led to the current optimistic atmospheres regarding the cabinet formation process."
Also Wednesday, the Central News Agency quoted sources as saying that over the past few hours a "non-Christian military official" was tipped to become the country's new interior minister.
According to the same sources, talks are underway to find solutions to two obstacles hindering the cabinet formation process -- the representation of the Sunni opposition in the new cabinet and MP Talal Arslan's insistence on getting a sovereign portfolio.
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