Mustaqbal Urges Parties to be 'Realistic' in Their Cabinet Demands
Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc of Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Tuesday urged all political parties to be “realistic” in their demands regarding the line-up of the new government.
“The bloc calls on all political forces to seize this positive moment and facilitate the formation process,” Mustaqbal added in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.
“Seizing the current chance to form a government under the guidance of the oath of office (of President Michel Aoun) would create a major momentum in the country that would reflect positively on everything,” the bloc urged.
Aoun's election and Hariri's appointment as premier-designate have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin tackling challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.
In a sign that Hariri's task ahead might not be easy, Hizbullah's MPs declined to endorse him for the prime minister post, even though his nomination was all-but-assured.
Hariri is likely to struggle with his government's policy statement, which will have to make reference to Israel, as well as the war in Syria, both potential flashpoints with Hizbullah.
The process of forming a government could take months, with horsetrading likely to revolve around the distribution of key posts like the finance, defense and energy ministries.
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