Baabda Clarifies Suleiman's Remarks to Le Figaro, Jumblat Calls for Avoiding 'Unconstitutional' Cabinet

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Wednesday called for avoiding the formation of a cabinet that “might be deemed unconstitutional,” after President Michel Suleiman said a new government could be formed before October.

“I call for reconsidering the 8-8-8 formula as we need an inclusive cabinet to confront the major problems,” Jumblat told al-Manar television.

“It is better to avoid efforts aimed at forming a cabinet that might be deemed unconstitutional by some parties and the repetition of an experience that we are better off without,” Jumblat added.

In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Suleiman had expected that he and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam would form a cabinet before the beginning of October.

According to al-Manar, Jumblat voiced surprise over the French daily's “report” and noted that “the published remarks contradict with what has been announced about an inclusive cabinet.”

Sources close to Suleiman denied to the same TV network that the president had “set specific deadlines for forming the cabinet" in his interview with Le Figaro.

"His remarks about the deadlines are aimed at facilitating the conditions and he does not intend to sign a de facto cabinet line-up," said the sources.

Meanwhile, March 8 sources told al-Manar: "According to our information, a de facto cabinet cannot win a vote of confidence in parliament."

On Monday, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah described the so-called 8-8-8 formula as "unrealistic," saying "it is technically a 10-6-8 formula since the premier-designate is a member of the March 14 forces and the minister he is supposed to name would abide by the same political agenda."