Gemayel: It's Naive to Think Hizbullah Can Be Shut out of New Government
Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel expressed his satisfaction with the appointment of MP Tammam Salam to head a new government, stressing that it should be a “salvation cabinet that brings together all powers,” reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.
He told the daily: “It's naïve to think that Hizbullah can be shut out of the new cabinet.”
He stressed that Hizbullah played a role in devising the Baabda Declaration that was approved in June during a national dialogue session and which calls for keeping Lebanon out of regional conflicts.
On reports that western and European opposition to Hizbullah's participation in a new government, Gemayel said: “These are just media claims seeing as European countries cooperate with Hizbullah ministers at the Agriculture and Administrative Development Ministries.”
The new government should be able “to assume its responsibilities and face local and foreign obligations.”
It must also work on reaching an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, “which is a national priority because a lack of agreement on the issue will lead to the cancellation of the elections and take the country towards the unknown,” he remarked.
In addition, Gemayel noted that a salvation government “should not have a political quality.”
The government of Premier Najib Miqati resigned on March 22 over its failure to reach an agreement over the authority to oversee the parliamentary elections and failure to agree on extending the term of former Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi.
Binding parliamentary consultations were held on Friday, and will continue on Saturday, to name a new premier.
The majority of the political powers have so far nominated Salam to assume the post.
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