Report: More than 180 Names for 24-Member Cabinet

by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 April 2013, 07:52

Political parties have proposed to Premier-Designate Tammam Salam more than 180 names for only a 24-member government, An Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The number is expected to rise pending a final step by Salam in handing over the portfolios to the right people, An Nahar said.

Informed sources have said that the cabinet formation process gathered pace over the weekend due to intense consultations between the PM-designate and the major political parties.

The sources told local dailies that Salam spent his Monday assessing the meetings he has held and the proposals made by the parties.

They said Salam is seriously considering the formation of a 24-member cabinet that would exclude ministers of state.

The members would be non provocative political figures and not running for the parliamentary elections.

There will also be rotational portfolios, the sources said.

But officials, who visited Speaker Nabih Berri, quoted him as saying that the March 8 alliance had no problem in having rotations on condition that the process applied to all the parties and confessions, and portfolios.

Sources close to the PM-designate told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the formation of the government is “moving forward through calculated steps.”

Salam's meetings with the different parties will intensify as the date of the announcement of the cabinet lineup approaches, they said.

Salam has held separate meetings in the past few days with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, caretaker minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who is the political aide of Berri, and PSP official caretaker Minister Wael Abu Faour.

Abu Faour also met with President Michel Suleiman and was in continuous contact with the Hizbullah and Amal leaderships.

Highly informed sources expected Salam to visit Baabda palace soon to inform Suleiman about the results of the “calm and fruitful consultations.”

But in their comments to As Safir, the sources refused to confirm a major breakthrough in the cabinet formation process.