Hizbullah, Mustaqbal Urge Fast Govt. Formation in 1st Talks after Aoun Election

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement jointly called Wednesday for a speedy government formation, in a statement issued after their first dialogue session following the election of Michel Aoun as president.

The conferees “evaluated the atmospheres that prevailed after the presidential vote and the positive impact that they have left on the domestic situation,” said a joint statement issued by the two parties after their 36th bilateral dialogue session in Ain el-Tineh.

They “stressed the need to benefit from the atmospheres of openness among the political forces and speed up the formation of the new government.”

Aoun was elected last month as Lebanon's 13th president after a key endorsement from al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri and crucial support from Hizbullah. Aoun also received important support from the Lebanese Forces.

Aoun's election as president 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 of forming a new cabinet might not be easy, Hizbullah's MPs declined to endorse him for the prime minister post.

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.