March 14 Campaign Against Arms Expected to Push for Quick Cabinet Formation

The March 14 alliance’s campaign against Hizbullah’s arms is expected to push for the quick formation of the new government, An Nahar newspaper reported Thursday.

The daily quoted Speaker Nabih Berri’s advisor MP Ali Hassan Khalil as saying that “the appropriate answer to the slogans launched by the March 14 team is to speed up the government formation process.”

Informed sources told An Nahar that the cabinet could be formed next week after Premier-designate Najib Miqati held intense talks in the past 48 hours with officials involved in the government formation process.

Media reports said that Miqati met with Berri on Tuesday and held talks with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat’s envoy, Caretaker Minister Ghazi Aridi, on Wednesday.

Miqati’s circles also said that ties between the prime minister-designate and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun are “very good” denying reports about deteriorating relations.

Despite optimism that the cabinet would witness light soon, it was not yet clear if Miqati succeeded in bringing the viewpoints of Aoun and President Michel Suleiman closer.

Both Aoun and Suleiman are insisting on getting the interior ministry portfolio which was part of the president’s share in Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri’s government.