Salam's Cabinet Formation Efforts Frozen over Parliament Session Dispute
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam froze his attempts to form the new government, which he launched after the extension of parliament's mandate end of May, his sources said Wednesday.
The freeze came against the backdrop of a dispute between Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, who has refused to attend a parliamentary session amid a resigned cabinet.
Salam is still hinging on the awareness of politicians on the dangerous stage and the need for a new cabinet that ends the current row, the sources told several newspapers.
“Had there been a government with full authorities, these new crises wouldn't have erupted,” they added.
The sources stressed however that Salam would not wait till September to form his cabinet, a hint that he would announce a “fait accompli” government.
Baabda palace sources also said that the only way to end the crisis on the constitutionality of the parliamentary session is the immediate formation of a new government.
The row on the constitutionality of the session that Berri had call for on Monday erupted after the March 14 alliance bloc MPs and the Change and Reform bloc of MP Michel Aoun refused to attend it.
Berri postponed the three-day session to July 16 after March 14 and Miqati claimed that the speaker cannot ask parliament to convene to discuss not important issues amid a resigned cabinet.
They said only the extension of the term of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji was worthy to hold a session.
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