Geagea Calls on Salam to Form Cabinet 'With What is Available'
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed on Monday that PM-designate Tammam Salam should form a cabinet with “what he has at hand or apologize from lining one up,” he told the al-Akhbar daily.
“A cabinet should be lined-up as soon as possible, and PM-designate Tammam Salam should form one with what is possible at hand, or apologize from his mission,” Geagea told the daily al-Akhbar.
Geagea assured that although Salam was keen to form a consensual cabinet, he realized that the conditions set were inapplicable in light of Hizbullah's demands. “I don't think there is a possibility to form a cabinet in light of the conditions imposed by Hizbullah.”
Salam was designated following the resignation of PM Najib Miqati's cabinet on March 22.
The March 14 alliance demands the formation of an impartial cabinet while March 8 aims for a political one, and the Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat wants an all-embracing government.
On last week's fierce clashes in Sidon, Geagea blamed Hizbullah's arms saying “as long as Hizbullah keeps its weapons, as long as every citizen will allow himself to possess arms and form an armed organization, hence things will aggravate to the way they did in Sidon.”
Eighteen soldiers and more than 20 supporters of salafist cleric Ahmed al-Asir were killed in the clashes when the Lebanese Army launched a manhunt against him.
On boycotting the three-day parliamentary session that will kick off today, Geagea said: “We will boycott the sessions because the agenda will not tackle urgent affairs.
“The session is an extraordinary one and it therefore should address pressing issues put forward by President Michel Suleiman or outgoing PM Najib Miqati, which is not the case.”
The Lebanese Forces and independent March 14 MPs announced on Saturday their boycott of the sessions.
On extending the tenure of army chief General Jean Qahwaji, Geagea assured that the Lebanese Forces will “participate in any extraordinary session requested and signed by Suleiman and the PM to tackle special issues.”
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