Miqati Makes March 14 a 'Tempting Offer' to Join Government, Sources

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati has reportedly made the March 14 alliance a "tempting" offer to join the new Government.

Al-Markazia news agency, citing well-informed political sources, on Saturday said Miqati made a "tempting" offer to March 14 proposing that the coalition join the new Cabinet "after reconsidering its terms of participation."

It said the offer was made Friday during a meeting between Miqati and caretaker Labor Minister Butros Harb.

Well-informed diplomatic sources to Al-Markazia: Cabinet formation has been postponed until after the indictment is issued.

March 14 sources confirmed they had received the offer, Al-Markazia said. The sources, however, said March 14 will not rush to respond for fear of being drawn into a "maneuver in negotiations" that could have a dramatic end after indulging in the game of portfolios and quotas.

Meanwhile, well-informed diplomatic sources told Al-Markazia that Miqati is likely to postpone government formation until after an indictment in the 2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri has been issued.

Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Thursday quoted high-ranking French sources as saying that the indictment is likely to be issued "within the coming 10 days."

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reportedly poised to indict Hizbullah members in the Hariri murder.

Hizbullah had warned against such a move. The Shiite group has been pressuring outgoing PM Saad Hariri for months to stop the tribunal before it forced the collapse of his government on January 12.