Salam Holds onto National Interest Cabinet at End of Consultations with MPs

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam reiterated on Wednesday at the end of the consultations with lawmakers in parliament that he still holds onto the formation of a national interest government whose main mission will be to supervise the parliamentary polls.

“The supervision of the elections is a big mission for the new cabinet in addition to several pressing issues that we should confront such as economic, social and security problems,” Salam told reporters in parliament on the second and last day of consultations with MPs on the formation of his government.

“The majority of blocs and MPs are supporting the facilitation of the PM-designate's mission,” he said.

“Each team has its own objective and it is up to the PM-designate to hear them and seek for what he sees as the most beneficial mission for the government which is supervising the elections,” he added.

But Salam now faces a challenge to form the government after the majority of March 14 alliance MPs called for the formation of a technocrat cabinet whose members were not candidates for the elections.

But the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition blocs demanded the formation of a national unity cabinet or a political government to supervise the polls.

Salam was over the weekend tasked by President Michel Suleiman to form the new cabinet after he received the support of 124 out of 128 MPs.

The government of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati resigned on March 22 over several controversial issues.

On the second day of consultations, Salam first met with Ashrafiyeh's Free Decision bloc of MPs Michel Pharaon, Nadim Gemayel and Serge Torsarkissian that announced support for the representation of Ashrafiyeh in the cabinet.

“We want all sects to be represented in the government,” said Pharaon after the talks in parliament, stressing that it should be tasked with supervising the parliamentary elections.

The Armenian Consensus bloc said it asked Salam for the formation of a technocrat cabinet that will supervise the elections and hold them on time.

It said the Armenian sect should get essential portfolios in the new cabinet.

MP Assem Qanso from the Baath party bloc said after meeting with Salam that “there should be consensus on the formation of a largescale political cabinet.”

“The government should carry out its big missions along with supervising the elections, which could be postponed,” he told reporters in parliament.

“We asked Salam to create a petroleum ministry portfolio while keeping the energy ministry,” he added.

MP Assaad Hardan from the Syrian Social National Party, also told reporters that the PM-designate is willing to form a cabinet whose objective is the nation's highest interest which would be achieved through a national unity cabinet.

Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad al-Hout, who met with Salam after Hardan, said he relayed the bloc's wish that the government be formed swiftly.

“We hope that the cabinet would stage the elections as soon as possible, ease the political and security tensions in Lebanon, and focus on the people's daily concerns,” he said.

“We urged Salam that the new government's ministerial statement adhere to the Baabda Declaration,” he added.

MP Butros Harb was among independent MPs who met with Salam in the consultations.

“I believe that Salam is the right person for the post to hold the elections on time,” he said.

MP Robert Ghanem said after meeting the PM-designate Salam: "We hope that the new government would set as a priority holding the elections, reaching an agreement over a new electoral law, and catering to the people's concerns."

Later, MP Marwan Hamadeh said after meeting the premier-designate: “I hope that the consensus over his nomination will carry over to the formation of a new government.”

“We hope the new cabinet will meet the aspirations of the people,” he remarked.

He was followed by MP Robert Fadel, who hoped that the new government "would avoid the mistakes of previous ones."

MP Nicolas Fattoush then met with Salam, informing him that the formation of a cabinet solely dedicated to staging the elections violates the constitution.

He also added that demands that the members of the new cabinet should not run in the election is also a constitutional violation.

MP Mohammed al-Safadi noted after consultations with Salam: "The Lebanese people are all politicized and therefore it would be difficult to form a non-political cabinet."

"I suggested to the PM-designate that the cabinet be homogeneous and formed of competent individuals," he added.

MP Hagop Pakradounian after the Armenian MPs bloc meeting with Salam said: "We asked for the well-representation of Armenians in the government."