Report: Ongoing Contacts over Formation of National Salvation Government

Contacts are ongoing among the rival political parties over the formation of a national salvation cabinet, media reports said on Tuesday.

Sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper that officials are seeking to find the suitable candidates to lead the cabinet, which will benefit from a regional and international support.

Sharp differences surfaced recently among the March 14 opposition and the March 8 alliance after the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Wissam al-Hasan in October.

The opposition blamed the government of Prime Minister Najib Miqati for the assassination, boycotting all political activity with its foes and demanding the resignation of the cabinet as a main condition to its attendance of all-party talks.

The sources said in comments published in the newspaper that the March 14 coalition will not engage in dialogue although President Michel Suleiman has set a session on January 7 at the Baabda Palace.

The opposition considers that the ongoing revolt in Syria will benefit it, in particularly, if the electoral subcommittee, which is tasked with discussing the electoral system and the number and size of districts, failed to reach an agreement over the electoral draft law.

“If they failed to agree on an electoral law then the parliament will adopt the 1960 electoral law that is based on the winner-takes-all system, which will be in favor of the opposition,” the sources pointed out.

The parliamentary subcommittee is set to convene on January 8 in order to resolve the dispute over the matter.

The government approved in August an electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.

The draft law was rejected by the March 14-led opposition, which deemed the law a being tailored to the March 8 camp.