Geagea Considers Hariri's Remarks 'Good Will Gesture'

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea described on Saturday remarks by ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri regarding the cabinet formation process as a “good will gesture,” stressing that his party will not participate in any cabinet that doesn't include “the slightest political change.”

“Hariri's statements are considered a good will gesture and not an agreement on including the army, people, resistance formula in the new cabinet's ministerial statement,” Geagea said in a press conference in Maarab.

Former Prime Minister Hariri considered on Friday that he is showing positivity regarding the cabinet formation consultations, noting that Hizbullah is a political party that is leading a “big coalition.”

“This is something good for the country and for stability in the country,” Hariri said in an interview.

Geagea pointed out that if the political foes didn't agree on “political change in its policy statement and work then there's no need to participate in it.”

Geagea stressed that the ministerial statement should also include the Baabda declaration and exclude anything article concerning the army, people, resistance formula or any equivalent article.

The March 8 alliance and mainly Speaker Nabih Berri have called for keeping discussions on the policy statement until after the formation of the cabinet. He has also stuck to the army-people-resistance formula.

But the March 14 camp, which is holding on to a deal with its rivals on several of the government's aspects, has insisted on having the Baabda Declaration as the basis of the policy statement.

The government formation process has witnessed an intensified a political activity in an attempt to end the standstill since Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam was appointed in April.

The formation process was put on the front burner after Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and President Michel Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days.

Amid the Lebanese Forces' rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 alliance has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties.

The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 coalitions, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.

“The March 14 alliance is coordinating its stances,” the Christian leader stressed.

He pointed out that if the rival parties failed to reach common grounds regarding the formation of an all-embracing cabinet then Suleiman and Salam will form a neutral cabinet by the end of the month.