March 8 Stresses 'United Stance' over PM-Designate ahead of Parliamentary Consultations
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The March 8 camp held talks on Wednesday at Speaker Nabih Berri's residence at Ain el-Tineh in order to coordinate their stances ahead of the binding parliamentary consultations later this week.
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh said after the talks: “We will head to the consultations with a united position over a new prime minister-designate.”
He added described the meeting “as more than excellent”, while denying reports of disputes within the camp.
“The names being discussed to assume the premiership are not many and we are seeking an agreement on a candidate who enjoys consensus,” Franjieh remarked to reporters.
The consultations are scheduled to be held at the Baabda Palace on Friday and Saturday.
The Ain el-Tineh meeting included General Secretary of Tashnag Party Hovig Mekhitarian, caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, political aide of the Hizbullah chief Hussein Khalil, and MP Hagop Pakradonian.
Media reports spoke of a rift between Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun over the controversial parliamentary electoral law and the formation of the new cabinet.
An Nahar newspaper reported that a meeting behind closed doors was held on Tuesday between the March 8 Christian representatives and political aide of the Hizbullah chief Hussein Khalil to reach a breakthrough in the dispute.
March 8 Christians and Hizbullah representatives failed during a meeting on Sunday to reach common ground on the nature of the new cabinet and the new electoral law.
The meeting was held between Aoun, Franjieh, Pakradonian, Hussein Khalil and Hizbullah Liaison and Coordination Officer Wafiq Safa in the absence of AMAL movement-led by Berri.
Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who is loyal to Aoun, told An Nahar newspaper that the priority is to set a new electoral law.
He pointed out that a parliamentary session should be held soon for voting on the so-called Orthodox Gathering draft-law, whether the session will lack quorum or not.
“The parliamentary blocs that have previously voiced their support to the proposal should commit to their stance,” Kanaan told An Nahar.
The polls are likely to be postponed if the parliament gives the green light to the proposal that divides Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
Concerning the government crisis, the lawmaker said that the FPM hasn't decided yet to boycott the binding consultations.
The binding consultations will be held between President Michel Suleiman and the parliamentary blocs and independents on the name of the PM-designate after Prime Minister Najib Miqati resigned on March 22.
His resignation further complicated the political crisis in Lebanon after signs began appearing that the Hizbullah-led March 8 forces are seeking a national salvation cabinet while the March 14 opposition alliance wants a neutral government.
Kanaan pointed out that officials should differentiate between the adoption of the electoral law and the naming of the new PM-designate.
“We are against extending the tenure of the current parliament and we reject any political vacuum,” Kanaan added.
According to As Safir newspaper, Hizbullah set as a priority selecting a balanced figure to form the new cabinet.
Sources close to the party said that proposals to form a neutral cabinet are not realistic as they aim at excluding Hizbullah based on a U.S. request.
They pointed out that the challenges confronting the country require the formation of a strong political government that is capable of acting responsibly.
A March 8 Christian leader told As Safir that “all options are open,” noting that the coalition rejects the candidacy of Khaled Qabbani and Ghaleb Mahmasani, who are close to al-Mustaqbal Movement, to the premiership.
The leader, that was named in the report, said that if a technocrat cabinet will be formed then head of the Economic Committees Adnan Kassar should form it.
03 April 2013, 09:49
87
M8 are divided and afraid of the new PM.
what will they do? especially aoun and his son in law who will not be able to steal anymore?
03 April 2013, 10:09
75
"M8 are divided and afraid of the new PM."
lol ... you should have been a comedian ...
03 April 2013, 16:51
22
wow
if the jumblatt is the kingmaker god help that country
like a saying goes ( youm sharkieye, youm Gharbieyeh)
03 April 2013, 09:55
32
Adnan Kassar to form a technocratic government? First he should be asked how the family business, that is banking, is doing so as not to have a conflict of interest.
Reportedly their holding company owns Fransabank which happens to be up to its' neck in Cypress right now ... I'm guessing that the banking business in Cypress is a wee bit tense at the moment ...
03 April 2013, 14:10
34
the problem is not in the prime minister, rather it is in the ministerial declaration: hizbushaitan insists on having its army-people-resistance confirmed in this declaration, and I doubt that whoever will be PM will accept this.
this pre-condition is the problem.
03 April 2013, 16:00
00
March 8's PM nominee will be whoever impresses the most in the ongoing behind the scenes job interviews with Hassin of the Deep and Damp just like the last time, but I have to admit the M8 leaders do put on a riveting fictional theater piece.
03 April 2013, 16:54
00
OK, what about that Christian army dude Aoun dressed up as a Sunni cleric back in 1989 to pretend Muslims supported him? I hope that army dude didn't throw away his Halloween costume like Aoun threw out his army one*, he can use it again to make a fiery speech this time from Rabieh telling us how Aoun is modestly good**.
*Obviously from the way Aoun ran away he was never in the army, he wore the uniform and pretended be a soldier just to woo the Haret Hreik chicks, his prolonged stints in a place above Hazmieh was not at the barracks of Fayadieh but in the lunatic asylum next door.
**You do realize modestly good means boastfully bad don't you.
03 April 2013, 20:01
23
@the_roar
Please refrain from such comments indirectly aiming to portray M8 as patriots while others not.
I mean next someone will pick and comment on the Phonecian ship carved in the wood on the wall and interpret that as an icon for those claiming Lebanese are Phenecians not Arab. Please, let's not go there.
03 April 2013, 21:07
11
@the_roar
You say you are not this or that M flavor but you still appear to prop the M8 flavor and you are entitled to your opinion.
I don't believe I am twisting any argument here, I simply responded to your comment about M8 and the Lebanese flag the the innuendo it presented. As simple as that.
While I am not crazy about Hariri, I certainly like HA and Nasrallah much, much, much less.
03 April 2013, 20:18
03
Before venturing an opinion I needed to research Ms. Layla's credentials. She appears to have much humanitarian work and business experience but other than a short stint as a minister she has no political experience. By that I don't mean allegiance to wither M14 or M8 political philosophy, I mean experience at handling other ministers in a cabinet. Her CV does not mention that her business experience ever included heading a board of directors or some such. That from a none political perspective.
Politically speaking, while on one hand she criticized the Assads in the past, she also acquisced when Lahoud's term was extended. That plus her being first suggested by HA makes her less desirable form my perspective. It may also be that HA purposely floated her name first to burn it...
In all if she is pegged to head an interim technocrat government and M14 agreed then she does not appear any less qualified as some other names being floated.
03 April 2013, 20:29
03
Here we have a Lebanese flag
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/78025-opposition-to-announce-candidate-for-pm-s-post-at-center-house-meeting
Here we have a Lebanese flag, an Iranian flag and a HA flag
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/76846-hizbullah-official-says-resignation-was-a-misstep-those-who-resigned-will-no-longer-be-assigned
Just an observation. Let's not play that game.
03 April 2013, 20:46
23
the-roar- you missed the point completely. The point here was that anyone can play the same game you are playing. As for the despicable act you speak of? Please enlighten me on what that is? The fact that mustaqbal has a picture up of their martyr? You crack me up. So if Frengie was to get assassinated and thrones of people end up seeing him as a martyr, it would be a despicable act to have his picture in a conference room of the Marada movement. Not sure where you pent up anger is coming from lately but I hope you find some peace.
03 April 2013, 21:06
22
nobody is putting harriri or anyone else above Lebanon. What makes someone a martry, such as the two people in my avatar, is the fact that they died for their country. Yes they have Harriri's picture up but unless you have been in the room and can't find a Lebanese flag in sight or you have proof that their allegiance is to the picture above Lebanon, then your statement is nothing more than propaganda.
03 April 2013, 23:15
00
They should nominate Jamil Es Sayyed for the oscars. Until judge Sakr makes him to rejoin his buddy Samaha in Roumieh bed-and-breakfast! Or the STL...
04 April 2013, 01:09
01
za2if and lebanonfirst are right here. Hariri's killing was recent, and therefore it's understandable that his picture would be shown a lot. It would also make sense that his picture would be displayed over Bachir Gemayel's since it was Hariri's assassination that basically caused the Cedar Revolution. Although I agree with the_roar on the excess of Hariri's picture at M14 meetings and events, on the actual day of 14 March 2005 there were only Lebanese flags. No KSA flags. On 8 March 2005, there were Lebanese, Hezbollah, Iranian, and Syrian flags, as well as pictures of Bashar. That is just fact.
