Change and Reform Hopes to Cross Constitutional Junctures with 'New Allies': No One Eliminated in Policy Statement

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday revealed that the policy statement of Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet will be “concise” and will not “eliminate” any political party, noting that it “will meet people's aspirations.”

“Consultations with al-Mustaqbal Movement made us enter an experimental and positive stage which we will witness during the cabinet's 3-month term,” Education Minister Elias Bou Saab announced after the bloc's weekly meeting in Rabiyeh.

The bloc's leader MP Michel Aoun confirmed Monday that he had met with Mustaqbal chief ex-PM Saad Hariri in Rome ahead of the formation of Salam's cabinet. Mustaqbal sources, however, have denied Aoun's remarks that the meeting had tackled the issue of a “mediation” with Hizbullah.

“The unanimity over confronting the dangerous terrorism that is creeping into Lebanon was noteworthy during today's cabinet session,” Bou Saab told reporters in Rabiyeh.

“What happened at the energy ministry over the past years has created hope and we can now launch projects without having concerns over the issue of funding,” he added.

Bou Saab stressed that the Change and Reform bloc supports “any initiative to equip the Lebanese Army, whichever side it may come from,” referring to the $3 billion Saudi donation to the military institution.

The constitutional junctures are essential and we hope we will be able, together with our allies and new allies, to reach openness, hope and a chance” to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections on time, Bou Saab added.

In response to a reporter's question, the minister said: “The cabinet is not for hawks but for moderates and we have joined the government with this mentality."

Bou Saab noted that "the policy statement will be concise and the bloc and the Free Patriotic Movement have played a role in this issue."

"We hope it will not take a lot of time as we want a brief statement that meets people's aspirations before anything else, without eliminating anyone or settling scores," he added.

Salam announced his cabinet line-up on Saturday following an 11-month deadlock and the bloc was allocated four minsiterial portfolios. The cabinet held its first session on Tuesday morning, during which a 7-member ministerial panel was formed with the aim of drafting the policy statement.