Hariri Vows to Finalize Govt. File 'Next Week' as Jumblat Slams March 8 Sunnis
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced Wednesday that he will finalize the government formation issue “next week.”
“There will be other meetings with the political parties over the issue of the government and there are positive developments and I will finalize the issue next week,” said Hariri after talks with Progressive Socialist Party chief ex-MP Walid Jumblat in Clemenceau.
“Facing this economic situation, everyone must show a little modesty,” Hariri urged.
“The industry portfolio is not the only thing that we discussed, seeing as a lot of things have happened in the country and a lot of attacks have been launched against me and against Walid Beik,” Hariri added.
“We are closing ranks,” he said.
Jumblat meanwhile lashed out at the pro-Damascus, Hizbullah-backed Consultative Gathering – a new grouping of six Sunni MPs which has insisted on getting a seat in the new government.
“It seems that some forces who have revived themselves do no care about the economy and it seems that these forces want to weaken Lebanon's economic and social structure but we will not allow them,” Jumblat added.
And responding to a reporter's question, the PSP leader said that, “God willing, there will be a government soon.”
The Free Patriotic Movement-affiliated OTV had earlier reported that the Hariri-Jumblat talks would “tackle the possibility of redistributing some portfolios, most notably the industry portfolio.”
Hariri had held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday.
Al-Jadeed television said Hariri visited Berri to “discuss the issue of pending portfolios – environment, information and industry – in order to prevent the emergence of a new obstacle when an agreement is reached on the candidate who will represent the Consultative Gathering.”
Berri had quoted Hariri as saying earlier on Tuesday that the new government could be formed “within a week or less.”
Source: Naharnet
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