Report: No Regional Green Light Yet on Cabinet Formation

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun continued over the weekend to hold onto his demands for 12 ministries, including the interior ministry portfolio, in a 30-member cabinet, Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s circles told An Nahar daily in remarks published Sunday.

Aoun’s demands have further delayed the formation of the government, the circles said.

Miqati is now waiting for answers from the envoys of Aoun, the speaker and the Hizbullah leader over his proposals on their shares in the new cabinet.

An Nahar expected another meeting between Miqati from one side and Ali Hassan Khalil, Hussein Khalil and Jebran Bassil on the other upon the latter’s return from Dubai.

Despite reports that the government deadlock is caused by Aoun’s demands, informed sources told An Nahar that the actual impasse was due to a lack of a regional green light on the cabinet formation.

A Syrian decision on the government is inevitable, they said, adding that Damascus wouldn’t give any green light to Miqati before agreeing with Riyadh. “But this hasn’t happened yet.”

Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat also quoted informed sources as saying that Syria should interfere to facilitate the cabinet formation. They did not rule out a possible Syrian meddling in the next few days.

Other sources told the newspaper that the meeting between President Michel Suleiman and Miqati on Saturday was aimed at mainly discussing the difficulties that the premier-designate is facing.