Berri: Forming a National Unity Cabinet of 30-Ministers Was Agreed

Speaker Nabih Berri declared that there are no justifiable reasons to delay the formation of the cabinet any further now that all political parties have taken their share in the new cabinet, al-Joumhouria daily reported Wednesday.

“I can assure there are no justifiable reasons to delay issuing the government decrees because each political party has taken its share in the cabinet,” Berri told his visitors.

Asked about the reasons delaying the announcement, Berri said: “Until this moment, I personally don't know the reason. I don't know where the problem is now, although there should not be any.”

On the number of ministers to be represented, he said: “It has not been decided if it will be composed of 24 or 30 ministers. But during a meeting with President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri we agreed to form a national unity cabinet of 30.”

“The cabinet is a national unity government and the formation must respect that principle. All the political parties must be represented because failure to do so strips the government from its national unity title,” he added.

Berri concluded that he conceded the public works ministry to Marada Movement chief Suleiaman Franjieh to facilitate the formation of the cabinet.