Charbel for 'Consensus' on Vote Law and Cabinet, Calls for Quick Appointment of ISF Chief

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel shied away on Tuesday from revealing the timeframe for the postponement of the parliamentary elections but said he needed six months of preparations for the polls if there was consensus on a new law.

During a visit to the general-directorate of the Internal Security Forces in the Beirut neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh, Charbel said: “I can only announce for how long the polls will be postponed when agreement is reached on a new law.”

He reiterated that he had prepared for the elections based on the 1960 law over a failure by the rival blocs to agree on a new draft-law to govern the polls that are set to be held on June 9.

Charbel stressed however that no new draft-law would be adopted in the absence of consensus among the parties concerned. Six months are needed for the preparations to be made by the interior ministry, he said.

Charbel's visit to the ISF general-directorate came after Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi handed over on Saturday the police leadership post to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem.

Rifi turned 59 – the ISF’s maximum working age – on Monday. Salem will serve as acting head of the ISF until a new director-general is appointed.

A proposal to extend Rifi's tenure was one of the reasons that led to Prime Minister Najib Miqati's resignation last month.

Charbel hailed the ISF for the role it has played over the years, saying the institution had paid the price of its mission through the martyrdom of several of its members.

“We hope that the ISF wins the trust of the citizen and the other way around,” he told reporters.

He also hoped “for unity away from politics and sectarianism to serve the citizens.”

The caretaker minister called for the quick formation of a new government to appoint the new ISF director-general.

Asked about a travel warning to Lebanon issued by the U.S. State Department, Charbel said: “We carry out our duties as much as we can.”

He didn't elaborate.

Charbel also described the security situation as stable after the cabinet's resignation.

Asked about the type of the new government, he reiterated that the cabinet's form should be approved by all parties.

President Michel Suleiman has set next Friday and Saturday as the dates for the binding consultations with parliamentary blocs and independent MPs to name a premier-designate.