Reports: March 14 Ministers to be United, Policy Statement Expected within 2 Weeks

The March 14 alliance's cabinet ministers have agreed to be a united front in the discussions on the new government’s policy statement, which is expected to be completed in two weeks, local dailies reported Tuesday.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper said that the March 14 ministers would act as a single team in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tammam Salam and such a unity would be reflected in the adoption of a strategy to coordinate stances in the discussions on the policy statement.

The daily said that the controversial aspects of the statement will be dealt with away from the media spotlight as March 14 officials hold onto their call for the adoption of the Baabda Declaration as its basis.

Their stance comes as the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance holds onto the “people-army-resistance” formula, which had been adopted in policy statements of previous governments.

But an unnamed minister told al-Liwaa daily that the government was capable of agreeing on the statement in a period of less than two weeks.

The minister seemed to be ruling out any disagreements between the rival parties.

The first meeting of the committee tasked with drafting the policy statement will be held on Wednesday.

It was formed by the cabinet during its first session at Baabda Palace on Tuesday.