Phalange Reportedly Heading Towards Participation in Miqati’s Cabinet

Premier-designate Najib Miqati held talks with Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel on Sunday night, sources close to the billionaire businessman told An Nahar daily.

Miqati had held a telephone conversation with Gemayel before the alleged meeting.

The phalange party’s representative in ex-Premier Saad Hariri’s cabinet Caretaker Minister Salim al-Sayegh told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday that he did not rule out the party’s participation in Miqati’s government.

However, he stressed that the Phalange would take its time to hold consultations and then take the appropriate stance from the participation or the boycott of the cabinet.

Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat ruled out however the party’s representation, saying that the Phalange would stress its commitment to the March 14 forces’ position that it would participate in the government only if Miqati accepts the coalition’s conditions on the international tribunal.

The sources close to Miqati also told An Nahar that the Miqati-Gemayel meeting only came as part of consultations and that the former president’s stances did not contradict with the March 14 position.