Report: Hariri Decides to Stay ‘On a Retreat’ in Paris
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri did not return Sunday evening to Beirut as expected to resume talks on the Cabinet formation, amid reports he has decided to “retreat” in the French capital, al-Akhbar daily said on Monday.
Hariri was scheduled to attend a business dinner attended by economists and businessmen, but the attendees were reportedly notified that the dinner was canceled and that Hariri will stay in Paris for several days, said the daily.
The PM has decided to go on a “retreat”, said the daily, until the hurdle of so-called independent Sunni MPs representation is solved.
Meanwhile, circles close to Hariri said the PM has reiterated adherence to his position rejecting the allocation of ministerial portfolio to any of the six March 8 Sunni MPs.
Hariri “finds no reason to represent those who already belong to parliamentary blocs that have representatives in the government.”
The sources also said Hariri “is not willing to sign a decree containing any of the six names, even if they were included in the shares of others,” in reference to the possibility that President Michel Aoun or one of the Shiite duo (AMAL Movement and Hizbullah) would give up a seat for Shiites in the favor of said MPs.
The so-called Sunni hurdle is the last obstacle delaying the formation of the government after a standoff over Christian and Druze seats was resolved.
The Sunni MPs group includes MPs Qassem Hashem, Adnan Traboulsi, Jihad el-Samad, Faisal Karami, Abdel-Rahim Mrad and Walid Sukkarieh.
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has announced that he'd rather step down than give independent Sunni MPs a seat from his own ministerial share.
Source: Naharnet
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