Miqati ‘Irrevocably’ Rules out Formation of Technocrat Cabinet

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Premier-designate Najib Miqati has said that he “irrevocably ruled out the formation of a technocrat or de facto government” and reiterated that he rejects turning the cabinet into “provinces.”

Miqati confirmed to his visitors that several formulas have been suggested to end the government deadlock but blamed the large number of conditions for the delay in the formation of the cabinet.

According to As Safir daily Wednesday, the prime minister-designate said he was still waiting for the major political parties to give him the names of their candidates for the cabinet posts.

“We don’t want the system of provinces inside the cabinet. On the contrary, we want competent people for a productive government,” he told his visitors.

Miqati reiterated that the government formation “climate is now more positive” and he is ready to hear any proposal aimed at ending the cabinet impasse.

However, the premier-designate’s circles told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that “no progress has been made on the level of consultations” to form the cabinet.

They expressed surprise at accusations that Miqati hasn’t so far proposed any cabinet lineup, saying every time he made a new suggestion, he faced the objection of the different parties.

On Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on Wednesday, Miqati’s sources hoped that the remarks would help remove the obstacle facing the formation of the government.