Mustaqbal Hits Back at Qassem, Abu Faour Speaks of Russian Initiative

Al-Mustaqbal Movement sources snapped back Thursday at Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem over remarks he voiced about the controversial issue of representing the so-called independent Sunni MPs in the new government.

“The ball is in the court of the obstructors and the party responsible for obstruction is known by all Lebanese,” the sources told LBCI television.

“The PM-designate abides by the constitution and will not turn the formation process into an arena for obstacles… He has accomplished his mission of ironing out the hurdles and others must stop recycling obstacles,” the sources added.

Qassem had earlier announced that “the ball is in the court of the PM-designate.”

“He has the ability to iron out the obstacles and reach a reasonable and appropriate solution in order to represent the Consultative Gathering,” Hizbullah number two added.

MP Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party meanwhile told LBCI that “an expected Russian initiative towards Lebanon may reactivate the stalled cabinet formation process.”

Abu Faour was in Moscow on Wednesday along with MP Taymour Jumblat, the head of the PSP-led Democratic Gathering bloc.

The government was on the verge of formation on October 29 after the Lebanese Forces accepted the portfolios that were assigned to it but a last-minute hurdle over the representation of the Consultative Gathering – a grouping of pro-Hizbullah Sunni MPs.

Hizbullah has insisted that the MPs should be given a seat in the government, refraining from providing Hariri with the names of its own ministers in a bid to press him.

President Michel Aoun -- a Hizbullah ally – has thrown his support behind Hariri and rejected the demand during a TV interview.