Safadi Says Cabinet to Continue Tasks until Parliament Withdraws Confidence

Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi stressed on Monday that the cabinet will go on with its tasks as long as it still has the parliament's confidence.

“Nothing has changed,” al-Safadi said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail.

However, he pointed out that “if there's a general political will to change the cabinet then it shall happen.”

“I don't think this will happen anytime soon,” al-Safadi added.

Asked about the consultations carried out by President Michel Suleiman with rival political parties over the resumption of the national dialogue and the political crisis in the country, he said: “We always seek reaching consensus with all the Lebanese powers, but sometimes certain conditions block these attempts, in particular, the (resignation) of the cabinet” led by Miqati.

The opposition insists on the resignation of the government as a main condition for the resumption of the national dialogue and official activity with its foes, while the March 8 coalition rejects the formation of a new cabinet on allegations that there's no alternative for it.

The cabinet is expected to convene on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace.

The premier stressed over the weekend that he will not step down, lashing out at the March 14-led opposition accusations that held him responsible for Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan's “blood.”

He noted that if he submitted his resignation now then he would be “admitting to the opposition's accusations.”

The assassination of Hasan on October 19 has raised fears about unrest in Lebanon, which is divided between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose country supervised Lebanon for nearly 30 years.