Salam's Path to Form Cabinet Plagued by Local, Regional Obstacles

Prime Minister Tammam Salam was not aware when he was appointed as premier-designate in April 2013 that his task will last nearly 11 months.

The process of forming a new government was met with local and regional obstacles, most notably the conflict in Syria and various conditions set by the rival March 8 and 14 camps.

Salam was appointed to his post in April after receiving the backing of 124 lawmakers out of 128.

The son of the late Saeb Salam, who himself was a prime minister on seven different occasions, Tammam Salam was tasked with the difficult mission of coming up with a cabinet that would meet the interests and expectations of the various rival political factions.

He juggled numerous possible formations, such as a 30-minister cabinet, a neutral or technocratic one.

He was met with the March 14 camp's refusal to join a cabinet that includes Hizbullah, given the former's objection to the party's participation in the fighting in Syria.

These fears were eased however when former PM Saad Hariri expressed on January 17 his bloc's readiness to take part in a cabinet that includes Hizbullah.

Salam was met with the Free Patriotic Movement's refusal to relinquish the energy portfolio that was occupied by Jebran Bassil.

A settlement was reached over this issue, with the FPM acquiescing to Tashnag member Arthur Nazarian assuming this post.

Another obstacle that emerged in recent weeks was the March 14 camp's nomination of former Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi to the position of interior minister.

This suggestion was rejected by Hizbullah, despite its ally the FPM allegedly agreeing to it.

Last-minute contacts between President Michel Suleiman, Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri, Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat's envoy Minister Wael Abou Faour yielded a settlement that saw the appointment of Mustaqbal MP Nouhad Mashnouq to the post.

Rifi has been appointed as justice minister.

Salam also had to contend with local unrest embodied in numerous car bombings in various Lebanese regions, mainly Hizbullah strongholds.

Terrorist groups claimed responsibility for some of the bombings, saying that they were a response to the party's fighting in Syria.