Report: Gemayel Launches Initiative in Coordination with Suleiman

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel kicked off consultations in coordination with President Michel Suleiman to discuss the possibility of forming a new cabinet, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

According to the daily, Gemayel is seeking consensus among Lebanese foes to form a new government.

Lebanon plunged in a political crisis on October 19 when Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan was assassinated.

Sources said that Suleiman will call for participants in the national dialogue to attend a new round of sessions if Gemayel's consultations were successful.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat also recently proposed an initiative to end the crisis between the rival March 14 and March 8 coalitions.

The March 14 opposition boycotted all political activity with the March 8 alliance following the assassination of al-Hasan in a car bomb explosion in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district after it blamed the government of covering up the killing.

The opposition rejects attending any national dialogue session before Prime Minister Najib Miqati's cabinet steps down and a new neutral government is formed.

The last dialogue session was held on September 20.