BEIRUT: The new Cabinet will hold its first meeting Wednesday as signs emerged that there will be no problem over the government’s policy statement, a move that will help accelerate the executive body’s work, political sources said Tuesday.

Saad Hariri Tuesday assumed his duty as prime minister at the Grand Serail in Downtown Beirut, as the formation of his 30-member national accord Cabinet drew more international praise, with the United Nations Security Council urging Lebanese political leaders to “build on this momentum of national unity.”

Meanwhile, the Future Movement and Hezbollah urged the new government to act quickly to forge a modern electoral law and hold parliamentary elections as scheduled in May 2017.

Senior officials of the Future Movement and Hezbollah held a new round of talks Tuesday night as part of their ongoing dialogue aimed at defusing sectarian and political tensions, aggravated by the nearly 6-year-old war in Syria.

“The participants congratulated all the Lebanese over the glorious holidays. They also congratulated the new government, expressing their positive outlook toward its formation,” said a terse statement issued after the 38th dialogue session held at Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence in Ain al-Tineh.

“They hoped that the government will act quickly to carry out its mission to tackle vital issues, at the forefront of which is drawing up a modern law for parliamentary elections in preparation for holding them on time,” the statement added.

Speaking to The Daily Star, a political source said: “All signs indicate that there will be no problem over the government’s policy statement that had posed a major bone of contention with previous Cabinets. Prime Minister Hariri and other politicians have said that President Michel Aoun’s inaugural speech can be used as the keystone for the government’s policy statement.”

“Main ideas contained in President Aoun’s speech can be used to deal with such divisive issues as Hezbollah’s arms and distancing Lebanon from regional conflicts,” the source said. In his inaugural speech shortly after his election by Parliament as Lebanon’s 13th president on Oct. 31, Aoun stressed the need to “dissociate [Lebanon] from the conflicts surrounding it and respect the Arab League bylaws.”

Hariri’s Future Movement and its March 14 allies have strongly rejected Hezbollah’s tripartite equation: “The Army, the people and the resistance” to be mentioned in the policy statement as was the case with previous governments. They stressed that the Lebanese Army is solely responsible for defending Lebanon against any possible Israeli attack.

Falling short of adopting the tripartite equation, former Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s Cabinet adopted a compromise solution: The policy statement underlined the citizens’ right to resist Israel.

The Cabinet session, to be chaired by Aoun at Baabda Palace, will be preceded by a souvenir photo of all Cabinet members, including the president, Berri and Hariri. The first item on the Cabinet’s agenda is to form a ministerial committee tasked with drafting the government’s policy statement.

Hariri arrived at noon at the Grand Serail where he was received by Cabinet Secretary-General Fouad Fleifel before reviewing an honor guard by a special unit of Internal Security Forces officers during a ceremony held on his first day as prime minister. He later shook hands with senior employees at the premiership before going to his office.

This is the second time Hariri, 46, serves as prime minister. The head of the Future Movement, who had served as prime minister from November 2009 to January 2011, announced a 30-member national accord government Sunday, pledging to preserve the country’s stability and security, draft a new electoral law, and oversee next year’s parliamentary polls.

Speaking from the Grand Serail, Nader Hariri, chief of Hariri’s staff, told Al-Jadeed TV: “The government’s top priority is to hold the elections and draw up a new electoral law.”

Hariri’s assuming his duties coincided with handover ceremonies between a number of outgoing and new ministers.

Future MP Jamal Jarrah assumed the helm at the Telecommunications Ministry from outgoing Minister Boutros Harb, while Cesar Abi Khalil took over the Energy and Water Ministry from outgoing Minister Arthur Nazarian.

Outgoing Economy and Trade Minister Alain Hakim handed over to Raed Khoury, while Pierre Abou Assi took over the Social Affairs Ministry from outgoing Minister Rashid Derbas.

Newly appointed Education Minister Marwan Hamade officiated his responsibilities by meeting with outgoing Education Minister Elias Bou Saab and other education officials. Justice Minister Salim Jreissati began Monday his duty at the Justice Ministry, refusing a handover ceremony with outgoing minister Ashraf Rifi who had resigned from the Cabinet.

The Future Movement’s parliamentary bloc welcomed the formation of the new Cabinet, expressing hope that the government would finish drafting its policy statement to ensure the commencement of executive government work.

“We hope that the Cabinet will finish its policy statement as soon as possible in order to promptly hold a parliamentary vote of confidence session after which the Cabinet and its members can work as a cooperative team to resume its executive work and handle a big accumulation of problems,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

The bloc underlined the need for the government to draft a new vote law and reiterated its commitment to a hybrid electoral law based on a majoritarian system and proportional representation.

Lebanese parties are divided between adopting a proportional vote law, or a hybrid electoral law that includes aspects of the proportional and winner-takes-all systems, to replace the 1960 system. The Free Patriotic Movement, the Amal Movement and Hezbollah have been lobbying for a pure proportional law with Lebanon as a single constituency.

MP Walid Jumblatt openly rejected an electoral law based on proportional representation. “Enough theories and fanfare over forthcoming and binding proportionality, or else representation will be invalid,” he tweeted. “We are not a flock of sheep [ready] to hand over its fate amid this jungle of foxes.”

Meanwhile, the Cabinet formation won more international praise from the Security Council, Britain, Spain and Turkey. The Security Council welcomed the formation of the Cabinet in Lebanon, underlining the need to preserve stability in the country. “The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that the preservation of Lebanon’s stability is essential to regional security,” a statement released by the Security Council said.

It also urged Lebanese political leaders to “build on this momentum of national unity and to ensure Lebanon’s ability to address the pressing security, economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing the country.”

Britain’s Middle East minister also welcomed the Cabinet formation, saying the move marked “another important step forward” for the country.

“This is another important step forward for Lebanon, and I hope agreement of the Cabinet further strengthens the trust and confidence of the Lebanese in their country’s political process,” Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood said in a statement.

Spain and Turkey also welcomed the government formation.