Report: Suleiman Committed to Constitution in Forming New Govt.

Consultations to form a new government are ongoing and they will continue until it is formed, stressed President Michel Suleiman's sources to the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah daily on Sunday.

They added that the president is committed to the constitution in forming a new cabinet.

The sources made their remarks in response to March 8 camp accusations that Suleiman is seeking to take an unconstitutional course to achieve his goal.

The sources added: “Suleiman aims for the formation of a government that includes different political powers and which also respects the Baabda Declaration that states that Lebanon should steer away from regional disputes.”

“Suleiman will exercise his full privileges with Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam in order to form a cabinet at the appropriate time because he refuses to leave the country in a political vacuum,” they continued.

He also refuses to have the caretaker cabinet assume his role should the presidential elections, set for spring 2014, fail to be held.

Suleiman's six-year term ends in May 2014, but there are fears that differences between the rival March 8 and 14 alliances would lead to a further clash among the MPs and prevent them from heading to parliament to elect a new president.

The 60-day constitutional deadline for the election of a new president starts on March 25.

Earlier this week, Suleiman had suggestion the formation of a government that can hold the presidential elections, regardless if it does not enjoy parliament's confidence.

Some March 8 officials criticized Suleiman's suggestion, with Hizbullah deputy Secretary General Sehikh Naim Qassem deeming it unconstitutional.