Salam Calls for Grabbing Cabinet Opportunity

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has warned that the current political and security situation in Lebanon cannot wait for more procrastination in the government formation process.

In remarks to As Safir daily published on Thursday, Salam said: “The efforts are underway to form the cabinet as soon as possible.”

But he stressed that it was no longer acceptable to wait because the situation in Lebanon does no longer tolerate the waste of more time.

There is now an opportunity to form an all-embracing government through regional and international support, he said.

“We should speed up in grabbing it and investing it before it goes,” Salam said.

His remarks came as informed sources told An Nahar newspaper that both President Michel Suleiman and Salam have an intention to settle the cabinet crisis end of this week.

The two officials have two choices – they would either issue a decree on an all-embracing government and take the risk of a boycott by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun or return to their previous choice of a non partisan cabinet.

Aoun has rejected the rotation of portfolios in the all-embracing 24-member government despite a mediation by its ally Hizbullah.

Officials close to Salam have quoted him as saying that he holds onto his authority to distribute portfolios on the different parties in cooperation with Suleiman.

They said the premier-designate also sticks to a balanced distribution of portfolios and takes into consideration the sectarian and political balances in the country.