Suleiman Gives March 8 Alliance 3 Days to Agree on All-Embracing Cabinet

President Michel Suleiman reiterated on Monday that he would form a non partisan government if the March 8 alliance failed to inform him in the coming three days about the result of its negotiations on an all-embracing cabinet.

“I had previously set January 7 and informed all the officials that I would sign the decree of the government in hopes that it would be based on the 8-8-8 formula,” Suleiman said.

“Then I traveled abroad and received a phone call that the March 8 alliance had reacted positively to the 8-8-8 formula,” he told al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

Suleiman said that he hoped the rival parties would agree on the all-embracing government particularly after the approval of al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri to share power with Hizbullah in the 24-member cabinet.

But the president said he was waiting for a final stance from the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance this week.

“If the answer on the 8-8-8 formula was positive either tomorrow or after tomorrow, then this would be something good. But if its reply was negative, then we would go back to our choice of a neutral cabinet,” he warned.

Suleiman stressed the neutral government would be all-embracing but not political.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has rejected to take part in the all-embracing government after he accused the country's top leaders of striking a deal on the 8-8-8 formula and the rotation of portfolios without consulting him.

He is now the last hurdle before the formation of the cabinet.

Asked about the presence of Christians in the new cabinet and mainly in the so-called sovereign ministries, Suleiman said: “The president heads cabinet sessions and he has the authority not to approve its decisions.”

“He can also interfere in setting the agenda and delete items from it,” he said.

“When he can implement the law and the Constitution, then he could restore a lot of missing authorities,” Suleiman added.