Salam Meets Berri's Envoy as He is Set to Kickstart New Efforts to Form Political Govt.
Efforts to form a new government are set to be revived in light of settling the dispute over the extension of parliament's term and the consequent postponement of the parliamentary elections, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.
Informed March 14 political sources told the daily that the new efforts will focus on forming a political cabinet not comprised of figures affiliated with political parties.
“The new cabinet will not be a de facto or caretaker one,” they revealed.
They predicted that positive outcomes of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam's renewed efforts will emerge within ten days.
In a related development, An Nahar said that Salam had held talks on Friday with Speaker Nabih Berri's aide caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil.
The daily said that the discussions did not address the cabinet formation process, but extension of parliament's tenure, which took place on Friday despite President Michel Suleiman's opposition.
An Nahar continued that Salam will launch new consultations with various political powers to garner their views over the new government.
He is set to adhere to article 64 constitution that addresses the framework that needs to be followed in forming a government.
This framework does not speak of any “blocking minority” that grants a bloc the power to veto government decisions.
The March 8 camp has been demanding that it be granted such an authority in a new cabinet, which Salam repeatedly refused by explaining that a government that includes such a power will become ineffective.
The article also does not stipulate that a certain sect has the right to monopolize certain government portfolios.
Furthermore, the constitutional article stipulates that the entire parliament does not need to be represented in government, which may hamper its work, said An Nahar.
Salam believes that Lebanon is need of a cabinet that can tackle the people's concerns given the critical phase the country and region are passing through, it reported.
The premier-designate's efforts to form a new government came to a halt in recent weeks in light of the dispute over the extension of parliament's mandate and the political powers' failure to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.
The dispute was settled on Friday however when parliament agreed to extend its tenure for 17 months.
Salam has repeatedly said that he is seeking the formation of a cabinet capable of staging the parliamentary elections.
The extension of parliament's term has however resulted in the postponement of the elections.
Suleiman has rejected the extension and is expected to challenge the decision at the Constitutional Council in favor for a technical extension that will allow the staging of the polls.
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