Report: Foreign Countries Agree on 'Neutral' Cabinet to Replace Miqati's Govt.
High-ranking foreign diplomats agreed on Friday that stability in Lebanon is “crucial” for the Lebanese people and the international community as they reached consensus over the importance of the stepping down of Prime Minister Najib Miqati's cabinet and the formation of a neutral government.
“Miqati's government can't contribute to maintaining Lebanon's stability, it became part of the crisis, in particular, after the assassination of (Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam) al-Hasan last week,” U.S. Sources said in comments published in the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai.
According to the daily the U.S. diplomats reached this agreement with their French and Saudi counterparts.
“From a regional point of view, we have no fears over the situation in Lebanon, which is safeguarded currently by President Michel Suleiman,” the U.S. sources said.
“Even if Miqati resigned, Suleiman is the guarantee for safety as he will be able to form an alternative cabinet,” they added.
The United States and the European Union, both anxious to ward off any further Syrian interference in Lebanon, have separately warned against creating a political vacuum.
The diplomats said that the foreign countries “back for the premiership an official who isn't affiliated with any party, is not from the parliament and is a neutral figure.”
The sources stated that the important matter is to “safeguard Lebanon's security and halt the crisis in Syria from spilling into the country.”
The October 19 bombing has raised fears about unrest in the country, which is divided between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose country supervised its small neighbor for nearly 30 years.
The Ashrafiyeh bombing in Beirut that killed Hasan along with two others deepened the gap between the March 14 alliance and the March 8 camp.
The opposition insists on the resignation of the government as a main condition for the resumption of the national dialogue and official activity with their foes, while the leading coalition rejects the formation of a new cabinet on allegations that there's no alternative.
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