Report: Government Formation Faces Saudi Hurdles

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Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has revealed that his cabinet formation efforts haven't yet made progress as reportedly an envoy of Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat returned from Saudi Arabia empty handed.

Salam told several local dailies published Thursday that strong efforts were being exerted in the cabinet formation process despite the lack of a solution so far.

He said he was hoping all the political parties would cooperate with him in his mission.

But Salam reiterated that it was up to Speaker Nabih Berri and Jumblat to play a major role in that regard after they promised him to overcome all the obstacles preventing a new government line-up.

The PM-designate denied that he had a draft of names that will be given portfolios, saying discussions were still focusing on the first stage of division of seats among the three major parties – the March 8 alliance, the March 14 coalition and the centrists.

Salam stressed that he holds onto his decision not to give veto power to any side, saying the representation of the March 8 alliance in the government according to its parliamentary weight leads to the same result.

But caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, who is a Free Patriotic Movement official that is a major component of March 8, denied asking for veto power.

“We are demanding to be represented in accordance with our parliamentary weight,” he told As Safir daily.

Aoun also told al-Akhbar newspaper that the FPM was asking for six ministers.

Meanwhile, As Safir said that Caretaker Minister Wael Abu Faour, who had visited Saudi Arabia with a call for putting together a government as soon as possible to avert a further deterioration in the security situation, returned to Beirut with several obstacles.

The newspaper quoted several other envoys that had visited Riyadh earlier without naming them as saying that the Saudi authorities were mulling keeping the caretaker cabinet led by Najib Miqati until further notice.

Other options includes giving veto power to both the March 8 and 14 alliances although such a choice is ruled out given Saudi Arabia's rejection to hand Hizbullah and its March 8 allies more authorities.

A third proposal includes forming a de facto government despite Jumblat's rejection of such a choice over his call for an all-embracing cabinet, the envoys said.

And the final scenario lies in Salam's decision to step down after he gave himself a certain timeframe to form the government, the envoys added.

Comments 24
Thumb primesuspect 27 June 2013, 08:28

Bassil: “We are demanding to be represented in accordance with our parliamentary weight,” he told As Safir daily.

Guess, wat, u and ur parliament are expired. u weigh zeeeeeeeeeeeeero.

GTFO

Thumb primesuspect 27 June 2013, 08:46

unless he measures his parliamentary weight by the amount of money he stole in comparison to other MPs.... who knows wat's in his little corrupt brain.

Default-user-icon Suzanne (Guest) 27 June 2013, 10:48

Well said!

Missing rami 27 June 2013, 11:02

"there is no Iranian influence on either our parliament or gvt". are you sure of this? tell me then, the people representing the yellow flag are under which influence?

Thumb jabal10452 27 June 2013, 12:28

I second Mowaten: shou khass el saoudie bi hkoumetna?

Default-user-icon Real Mowaten (Guest) 27 June 2013, 12:50

FT / Mowaten : You believe Iran is giving weapons as charity without wanting anything in return ? They interfere as much as Saudi Arabia but are smarter not to do it so publicly.

If you don't "See them" influencing does not mean they don't do it! You do not see Hezbollah training camps or weapons yet you believe they exist !

And Mowaten, you're argument of not seeing them travel to Iran is as stupid as you are. With phones, internet and HEAVY Iranian presence in Lebanon, you do not need to travel to receive orders and instructions.

Thumb Bandoul 27 June 2013, 20:03

...the kettle calling the pot black...amazing. Shame on both M8 and M14 for their foreign allegiances.

Missing forces 28 June 2013, 00:57

Flame, Whilst i agree with you principal, it seems we are wagging the dog by it's tail :) lets not kid ourselves, ALL parties are influenced by external players, and no matter who it is and for what ever reason we should all be man enough to denounce this as it is clearly not in the best interest of the country. Sadly though everything in the lebanese political spectrum is you vs us, we did this cause you did that,two wrongs don't make a right..

Thumb geha 27 June 2013, 08:33

there is nothing in the constitution that says the cabinet should be formed according to parliament representation in the first place! so get off it m8.
previously it was accepted according to the Doha agreement and it was for one time only, and under the threat of weapons.
m8 are clinging to power anyway they can!

Thumb primesuspect 27 June 2013, 08:45

the threat however remains.... we need a solucion to this. after FSA is done, we need Qatar to arm our army.... but not the shabi7a banimaroof showed us this morning.

day after day i say to myself, lebanon is a nation without future... it's painful to admit but true.

Missing --karim_m1 27 June 2013, 08:48

"...that the Saudi authorities were mulling keeping the caretaker cabinet led by Najib Miqati until further notice."

Who the **** are the Saudi desert terrorists to dictate to Lebanon how ITS OWN GOVERNMENT should be formed?! Its none of their ******* business how this country conducts its own affairs. We fought for years against the Palestinians, Israelis, and Syrians to guarantee our FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE, and if necessary, will do so against the Saudi TERRORIST invaders.

Thumb primesuspect 27 June 2013, 08:49

woof

Thumb jcamerican 27 June 2013, 08:50

Other options includes giving veto power to both the March 8 and 14 alliances although such a choice is ruled out given Saudi Arabia's rejection to hand Hizbullah and its March 8 allies more authorities.

You have two choices, Iran or KSA. As a matter of fact, there is no Lebanon.

Thumb mckinl 27 June 2013, 11:12

Yep ... the title of the article says it all ... According to Naharnet Lebanon's politics belong to the KSA.

Yet they fail to mention that it is Qatar and the KSA that are paying Wahhabi Sheikhs and Qaeada to destabilize Lebanon itself ...

Thumb jabal10452 27 June 2013, 18:51

Walla ya Karim, for the first time ever, I agree wholeheartedly with you.

Default-user-icon dateam (Guest) 27 June 2013, 08:51

we are waiting for saudia arabia to form our government...read the article.

Thumb primesuspect 27 June 2013, 09:06

guys, it's almost 2am here.... hitting the bed. good day to u.

Default-user-icon Suzanne (Guest) 27 June 2013, 10:50

Two thumbs up

Thumb jabal10452 27 June 2013, 12:04

WLEK YA 3AMME SHOU KHASS EL SAOUDIE BI HKOUMETNA????
When the F@&!? Are we going to learn to THROW OUT the punks who run to foreign governments for support in internal matters?
We the people are Lebanon's only chance for salvation and we are not doing much...

Default-user-icon Bishkinto Fezaghji (Guest) 27 June 2013, 13:35

Saudi hurdles, huh! Hello? March 14? Saudi Arabia First? Are you home? ya jame3et al 7orriyeh wa al siyedeh wa al saff 7akeh? Abou Faour Bin Bandar? eweeeha?

Default-user-icon JCWIlliams (Guest) 27 June 2013, 16:52

This guy Salam is a nobody. He has to get the Sausis approval through intermediaries to form an ineffectual government? You need a Democratic election and a new Constitutuion and that isn't going to happen.

Thumb Bandoul 27 June 2013, 19:59

It is a disgrace for any political party be it M8 or M14 to consult any foreign country to form a government. May the almighty rid us of the influence of foreign powers and the greed and stupidity of their lap dogs in M14 and M8. I denounce both parties and declare myself an independent adversary of both. Khalass ba2a, this insanity must stop.

Missing cowboymicho 30 June 2013, 15:39

Agree totally. So frustrating isn't it.

Thumb Senescence 28 June 2013, 04:26

Is this article for real ?