Consultations Revived but Miqati Informed that Aoun Continues to Hold onto Demands

The aides of the speaker and the Hizbullah leader on Tuesday informed Premier-designate Najib Miqati that Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun continues to hold onto his demands, including 5 out of 6 Maronite ministers in the cabinet, informed sources told several newspapers.

But Miqati reiterated that he was still waiting for answers on his demand for parliamentary blocs to provide him with lists of names they propose for the cabinet.

Miqati made the demand during a meeting with MP Ali Hassan Khalil, who is Speaker Nabih Berri’s aide, and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s assistant Hassan Khalil last Wednesday. That meeting was also attended by Aoun’s envoy Jebran Bassil.

However, Bassil was not present at the talks held between Miqati and the two other envoys.

Miqati’s circles also said that the prime minister-designate stressed he would not yield to pressure and would continue to hold onto the constitution.

“There are no final results yet. The meeting was consultative but revived contacts,” they said.

Informed sources confirmed that President Michel Suleiman had no new information on the cabinet and was waiting for the results of the consultations between Miqati and the different parties.

When asked by As Safir daily about the cabinet crisis, a high-ranking March 8 source said that there is no alternative to Miqati. The source warned that if more demands are made on the government, Miqati could turn every portfolio into an obstacle.

The source stressed that the representation of the former Sunni opposition, the demands of Minister Talal Arslan and the confessional distribution of portfolios haven’t been settled yet.