ANSD : Hariri to announce govt updates in Beirut Tuesday

THU 28 - 11 - 2024

Date: Nov 12, 2018
Source: The Daily Star

Hariri to announce govt updates in Beirut Tuesday

BEIRUT: Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri will hold a news conference on the latest developments on government formation Tuesday afternoon at his Downtown Beirut residence, a statement from his office announced.

The statement, released Sunday, said the news conference will be held at 1:30 p.m.

Hariri is in Paris, having traveled there last week on a private visit. He will attend the Paris Peace Forum, which runs Nov. 11-13.

His trip to France came after a last-minute demand emerged last week by Sunni MPs from outside his Future Movement for representation in the next Cabinet – just as the government’s formation seemed imminent.

While the MPs have been supported by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, they have met with opposition from Hariri and President Michel Aoun.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Saturday that if the demands of the six so-called independent Sunni MPs were not met, the formation process would be back to square one.

“We will continue to support the demands of the Sunni MPs for one year, two years, forever – we do not abandon our allies,” he said.

Only Bassil can solve Sunni MPs obstacle: Ferzli

BEIRUT: Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli said Monday that caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil alone can solve the issue of the demand recently renewed by six so-called independent Sunni MPs for representation in the new Cabinet.

Speaking with Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3), Ferzli, an MP with the Strong Lebanon bloc, which Bassil heads, said no one in Lebanon has an interest in escalating the struggles surrounding the government formation deadlock, now in its sixth month.

“There is definitely a way to find a solution to the Sunni representation obstacle, and ... Bassil is the only one who can do this,” Ferzli told the station, according to the state-run National News Agency.

The deputy speaker’s comments Monday were at least his second public attempt to press Bassil to help overcome this most recent stumbling block.

Last week, according to a statement from Speaker Nabih Berri's office, Ferzli said, “I am making a personal appeal ... to Minister Gebran Bassil to ... directly contribute to resolving the obstacles of government formation." He implored the foreign minister, who heads the Free Patriotic Movement, to help “put the country on the path that it needs to be on.”

Just as the government’s formation seemed imminent late last month, the demand from the “independent” Sunni MPs from outside Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s Future Movement resurfaced. Though the demand met with opposition from Hariri and President Michel Aoun, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Saturday that if it was not appeased, the formation process would return to square one.

Readers Comments (0)

Add your comment

Enter the security code below*


Can't read this? Try Another.