Berri Calls for Compromise by FPM to End Cabinet Standstill
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Monday that contacts are ongoing among the Lebanese foes to end the cabinet standstill, pointing out that consultations haven't reached common grounds yet.
“I have done everything I can to facilitate the cabinet formation process and I'm waiting for others,” Berri said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper.
“I have nothing new in this regards,” he added.
Concerning his meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale on Friday, Berri said that the U.S. official urged the formation of an all-embracing cabinet that includes Hizbullah.
Berri also expressed support to the demands set by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, sources said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.
The sources quoted Berri as saying: “It is Aoun's right to guarantee better Christian representation at the new cabinet through balanced portfolios.”
However, the speaker said that the concept of rotating ministerial portfolios is to carry out reforms and is in harmony with the FPM's “Change and Reform” slogan.
“Rotation in portfolios requires some sacrifices from Aoun and others,” Berri was quoted as saying.
He also noted that “priority at this stage is to confront the Sunni-Shiite incitement and an all-embracing government would help.”
The cabinet formation process reached an impasse after being put on front burner.
Aoun's insistence that his bloc retain the Energy and Telecommunications Ministries portfolios, currently held by caretaker Ministers Jebran Bassil and Nicolas Sehnaoui respectively is viewed to be the main obstacle. In addition to his rejection to the concept of rotation of ministerial portfolios.
Salam, who was appointed in April, is holding onto the concept of “fair, balanced and comprehensive rotation of portfolios,” which is rejected by the Free Patriotic Movement.
The latest efforts to form a new government have yielded an agreement over the formation of a 24-member cabinet which grants eight ministers to each of the March 8 and 14 camps and centrists.
The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 alliances, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.
Alternatives to the 8-8-8 government lineup are a de facto cabinet or a neutral one, said Speaker Nabih Berri.
Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat are however pressing for the formation of an all-embracing government.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/115876 |