Miqati Frustrated Over Attempts to Hold him Responsible for Cabinet Formation Delay

Premier-designate Najib Miqati has expressed frustration over the attempts of some parties to hold him responsible for the delay in the formation of the new government.

An Nahar daily said Sunday the prime minister-designate believes that these parties are taking advantage of Miqati’s decision not to make any statement by throwing accusations at him and linking the delay to personal interests or pressure from Syria.

Miqati is working according to constitutional norms and the concept of choosing the most qualified people to participate in the government, An Nahar quoted his circles as saying.

The other parties should get convinced that he won’t give up his task of forming the cabinet under any circumstance or pressure, they said.

Meanwhile, consultations continued on Saturday on a new government formula that grants Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun ten ministers, President Michel Suleiman and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat eleven, and the rest of the March 8 camp nine ministers.

An Nahar said the parties involved in the consultations have agreed not to make any statement to guarantee the success of discussions to form the new cabinet.

Discussions have reached the stage of names and portfolios, it said.

The newspaper added that the officials are speeding up the formation of the government after the latest security shakeups in the country, including the kidnapping of the seven Estonian tourists and the Zahle church bombing.