Salam Meets Hariri amid No Signs of Breakthrough in Cabinet Crisis

Prime Minister Tammam Salam met Monday with al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri as part of his endeavor to find a solution to the crisis crippling the work of his cabinet.

Media outlets said Hariri did not make any statement after leaving the Grand Serail meeting.

“So far, it seems that there will be no cabinet session this Thursday and contacts are still ongoing at several levels over the issue of changing the mechanism of cabinet's work,” LBCI television reported in the afternoon.

Al-Manar TV also said that “there are no signs of a possible solution to the cabinet crisis and it likely won't convene Thursday because, contrary to the norm, the agenda was not distributed on Saturday.”

Salam was expected to hold further contacts Monday with the parties represented in his cabinet to agree on a new formula to regulate the government's work after the rift between them prevented a session for the second week in a row.

Salam told As Safir daily upon his return from a private visit to Rome that he “will continue his consultations with the political parties to settle the discussion on the possibility to change the current mechanism.”

He refused to comment on the stances made by some cabinet ministers but informed sources told the newspaper that Salam has expressed frustration at the criticism directed at his proposal to change the mechanism, which requires the unanimous support from all the ministers on the cabinet decisions.

This formula was adopted after the government assumed the authorities of the head of state in accordance with the constitution following the end of President Michel Suleiman's tenure in May last year.

But Salam wants to amend the mechanism after several cabinet members began to exercise veto power, stalling several projects.

According to al-Joumhouria daily, Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon is expected to visit Salam to brief him on the result of a meeting that was held among eight ministers at Suleiman's residence in Yarze last week.

The ministers -- Kataeb party representatives, those backed by Suleiman, Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb and Pharaon -- oppose the changes called for by Salam.

But al-Joumhouria expected Pharaon to tell Salam that they don't intend to form a front that opposes him.

The eight ministers will meet again at Kataeb Party chief Amin Gemayel's residence in Sin el-Fil in the coming 48 hours.

Cabinet ministers expressed optimism on Monday despite fears that the vacuum at Baabda Palace would reach the executive authority.

In remarks to al-Joumhouria, Public Works Minister Ghazi Zoaiter did not expect the problem to grow.

Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas also said: “It doesn't mean we are heading towards a government crisis if a new session was not held this week.”

“There is a deep study on how to avoid the problems that had been hindering the (cabinet's) work,” he added.

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, who is among the eight ministers who met at Suleiman's residence, also told An Nahar daily that the Kataeb Party has reservations on the amendment to the current mechanism because it holds onto the proposal made by Salam when Suleiman's term ended.

He stressed, however, that the upcoming meeting at Gemayel's residence is aimed at backing Salam and supporting the cabinet's constitutionality.

G.K./Y.R.