LEBANON GOV'T BECOME MORE UNITED... ??!!>> HEZBULLAH MORE CONSOLIDATED... AS ISRAEL AND THE ARAB-USA-ISRAELIS TAKFIRI MILITIAS WERE DEMOLISHED IN SYRIA.. AND ON GOING FIGHTING IN LEBANON...??>> ......after 330 days of deadlock ...Lebanon forms government..>>?? ..... In the meantime, President Michel Suleiman called for “not squandering the opportunity, the positive achievements made, and the climate that has prevailed.” Suleiman also stressed that “accord among the rival factions is better than clinging to narratives, as it can eliminate provocation and tension, and open the door wide to the elimination of the quota-based sharing of power and mutual vetoes, for the sake of the country and the citizens.”..>>> Subsequent discussions with Salam also focused on implementing the idea of rotating control of ministries among the factions on other portfolios, which would allow Salam to give the labor ministry to Future, instead of the Marada Party. Negotiations continued until the late hours of Friday night to also address this issue, in addition to the question of which portfolios would be given to Hezbollah. ..>> Siniora and Berri also spoke. Berri objected to appointing either General Rifi or Future MP Ahmad Fatfat in the post, but Siniora retorted by saying, “You have named the ministers you want, so we shall name the ministers we want. We have already conceded a lot of ground on the subject of the government.” But Berri reiterated his objection, telling Siniora, “We have already agreed on not appointing any provocative figures.” ...>>> Efforts to form a cabinet were at full throttle last night, intent on resolving the key problem of who should be appointed as Minister of Interior. This dispute had almost blown all progress made in the previous days to put together a cabinet lineup acceptable by all rival factions. Late into Friday night, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam was still asking President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri to stay awake, as he was planning to announce the formation of his cabinet at night. Salam wanted to have the official group portrait of the new government taken on Saturday noon, and hold the cabinet’s first session before Berri’s scheduled visit to Kuwait. MP Walid Jumblatt also wanted to get the official decree forming the cabinet issued. Jumblatt wants the negotiations to have a happy outcome as soon as possible. ..>>> ...A new cabinet is expected to be formed in the coming hours in Lebanon, putting an end to months of political deadlock, unless some minor hurdles emerge...>>> After refusing all negotiations with General Michel Aoun and making up theories about portfolio rotation and the PM- designate powers, stressing that people should come to him not vice versa, a compromise was finally reached between the Future Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement. This came after several meetings and phone calls between Aoun and former PM Saad Hariri, then Minister Gebran Bassil and Hariri’s office manager Nader Hariri, accompanied by Minister Wael Abu Faour...>> Interestingly, none of the drafts mentioned the names of Hezbollah candidates. Salim Diab later emerged as a possible candidate for the Interior Ministry, but Rifi’s name was again deliberated, which threatens to introduce new hurdles to the cabinet formation. Sources in the main political forces (Hezbollah, Amal, FPM, the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party) all confirmed that the cabinet will be formed today, before the February 14 rally and before Speaker Nabih Berri leaves to Kuwait. ..>> Pada kenyataannya formasi kabinet baru Lebanon memperjelas esensi dan alasan mundurnya Gerakan 14 Maret dari posisinya dalam pembentukan kabinet ini. Dipastikan bahwa mundurnya kelompok itu dari sikap sebelumnya telah membuka peluang terbentuknya kabinet baru Lebanon...>>> Hizbullah setelah mendapat tekanan kuat dari Gerakan 14 Maret agar nama kelompok itu dihapus di kabinet baru, sama sekali tidak kehilangan apapun. Menurut keyakinan Maher Al Khatib, Penulis dan pakar masalah politik Lebanon, di bawah tekanan terus menerus, akhirnya Hizbullah berhasil masuk ke kabinet tanpa rugi sedikitpun, tidak di masalah pernyataan di tingkat Kementerian, tidak dalam masalah komitmen atas statemen Baabda atau soal menarik pasukan dari perang Suriah...>>> ...Formasi kabinet baru Lebanon menunjukkan bahwa target Gerakan 8 Maret, Michel Aoun, Ketua Gerakan Kebebasan Nasional dan mitra-mitra Hizbullah tercapai...>> ...Kanal 2 televisi rezim Zionis Israel dalam laporannya tentang kabinet baru Lebanon dan dipilihnya 24 anggota kabinet itu mengumumkan, Sayid Hassan Nasrullah, Sekretaris Jenderal Hizbullah adalah pihak yang paling diuntungkan dari pembentukan kabinet ini...>>> ...Pada Rabu kemarin (14/2), Hizbullah mengumumkan dukungannya terhadap institusi militer Libanon, menyusul prestasi militer terbaru dalam memerangi dan memberangus "terorisme takfiri". "Prestasi keamanan canggih militer menambah poin untuk rekam jejak terhormatnya," ujar sebuah pernyataan yang dirilis gerakan perlawanan Islam itu....>>> Tentara juga menyita sekitar 100 kilogram bahan peledak, beberapa roket, dan sabuk bahan peledak yang ditempatkan dalam SUV hitam yang diparkir di kawasan Corniche al-Mazraa, tak jauh dari lokasi ditangkap. Pernyataan Hizbullah menjelaskan, "Langkah ini merupakan indikasi dari dedikasi, kerja keras, dan pengorbanan pihak militer yang berkesinambungan guna melindungi rakyat Libanon dari seluruh bahaya yang mengancam mereka, terutama bahaya Zionis dan ancaman takfiri teroris yang menarget warga sipil tak berdosa."..>>> Kelompok teroris takfiri yang diciptakan dan didukung oleh duo AS (Amerika Serikat-Arab Saudi), makin intensif dan brutal dalam melancarkan serangan terhadap kubu gerakan perlawanan Hizbullah di Libanon dengan bantuan zionis "Israel". Bagi Hizbullah, seluruh serangan itu tentu saja sama sekali tidak mempengaruhi kekuatannya. ..>>> ....Beberapa analis Timur Tengah menyebut kelompok teroris al-Qaeda, seperti Jabhah Nusrah dan ISIS, hanyalah gerombolan amatir dan anak ingusan di hadapan kekuatan Hizbulllah yang profesional, terlatih, dan sarat pengalaman tempur. Bahkan pada 2006, organisasi perlawanan Islam yang dikomandan Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah ini menang telak saat mempecundangi tentara zionis "Israel" yang konon menjadi kekuatan bersenjata kelima terkuat di dunia...>> ....Konferensi Iran-Hizbullah memilih tiga area untuk meningkatan kemampuan intelijen dan keamanan Hizbullah: 1 . Lembah Beqaa di timur Libanon. 2 . Distrik Dahya di selatan Beirut. 3 . Intelijen lapangan Hizbullah di medan perang Suriah. ...>>> Kedua pihak lalu membentuk tim khusus untuk mengumpulkan informasi dari hasil interogasi terhadap Majid al-Majid, pemimpin kelompok teroris Brigade Abdallah Azzam asal Arab, yang tewas di penjara Libanon pada 4 Januari (2014). Kelompok teroris buatan kepala intelijen Arab Saudi, Bandar bin Sulthan itu, mengklaim beberapa serangan terhadap sasaran-sasaran Hizbullah...>>>

Media Israel: 

Hizbullah Paling Diuntungkan dari Kabinet Baru Lebanon

Minggu, 2014 Februari 16 11:51

http://indonesian.irib.ir/timur-tengah/-/asset_publisher/d4Na/content/media-israel-hizbullah-paling-diuntungkan-dari-kabinet-baru-lebanon 

Kanal 2 televisi rezim Zionis Israel dalam laporannya tentang kabinet baru Lebanon dan dipilihnya 24 anggota kabinet itu mengumumkan, Sayid Hassan Nasrullah, Sekretaris Jenderal Hizbullah adalah pihak yang paling diuntungkan dari pembentukan kabinet ini.

Tasnim News (16/2) melaporkan, Kanal 2 TV Israel mengabarkan tentang terbentuknya kabinet baru Lebanon di bawah pimpinan Tammam Salam, Perdana Menteri negara itu.

Formasi kabinet baru Lebanon menunjukkan bahwa target Gerakan 8 Maret,  Michel Aoun, Ketua Gerakan Kebebasan Nasional dan mitra-mitra Hizbullah tercapai.

Selain itu, Hizbullah setelah mendapat tekanan kuat dari Gerakan 14 Maret agar nama kelompok itu dihapus di kabinet baru, sama sekali tidak kehilangan apapun. Menurut keyakinan Maher Al Khatib, Penulis dan pakar masalah politik Lebanon, di bawah tekanan terus menerus, akhirnya Hizbullah berhasil masuk ke kabinet tanpa rugi sedikitpun, tidak di masalah pernyataan di tingkat Kementerian, tidak dalam masalah komitmen atas statemen Baabda atau soal menarik pasukan dari perang Suriah.

Pada kenyataannya formasi kabinet baru Lebanon memperjelas esensi dan alasan mundurnya Gerakan 14 Maret dari posisinya dalam pembentukan kabinet ini. Dipastikan bahwa mundurnya kelompok itu dari sikap sebelumnya telah membuka peluang terbentuknya kabinet baru Lebanon. (IRIB Indonesia/HS)

Hizbullah Tingkatkan Kemampuan Intelijen & Keamanan

Islam Times- 

Beberapa analis Timur Tengah menyebut kelompok teroris al-Qaeda, seperti Jabhah Nusrah dan ISIS, hanyalah gerombolan amatir dan anak ingusan di hadapan kekuatan Hizbulllah yang profesional, terlatih, dan sarat pengalaman tempur.

Hizbullah

Kelompok teroris takfiri yang diciptakan dan didukung oleh duo AS (Amerika Serikat-Arab Saudi), makin intensif dan brutal dalam melancarkan serangan terhadap kubu gerakan perlawanan Hizbullah di Libanon dengan bantuan zionis "Israel". Bagi Hizbullah, seluruh serangan itu tentu saja sama sekali tidak mempengaruhi kekuatannya.

Beberapa analis Timur Tengah menyebut kelompok teroris al-Qaeda, seperti Jabhah Nusrah dan ISIS, hanyalah gerombolan amatir dan anak ingusan di hadapan kekuatan Hizbulllah yang profesional, terlatih, dan sarat pengalaman tempur. Bahkan pada 2006, organisasi perlawanan Islam yang dikomandan Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah ini menang telak saat mempecundangi tentara zionis "Israel" yang konon menjadi kekuatan bersenjata kelima terkuat di dunia.
Namun, kondisi ini berbeda dengan rakyat dan pemerintah Libanon yang menjad korban sebenarnya. Mereka benar-benar terguncang akibat serangan brutal dan pengecut para monster takfiri itu. Demi melindungi eksistensi Libanon serta mengantisipasi setiap kemungkinan serangan, seraya menutup celah yang dapat diinfiltrasi teroris, Hizbullah bekerjasama dengan Brigade al-Quds Garda Revolusi dan Kementerian Intelijen dan Keamanan Republik Islam Iran memulai sebuah proyek penting untuk meningkatkan kemampuan intelijen dan keamanannya.

Kedua pihak lalu membentuk tim khusus untuk mengumpulkan informasi dari hasil interogasi terhadap Majid al-Majid, pemimpin kelompok teroris Brigade Abdallah Azzam asal Arab, yang tewas di penjara Libanon pada 4 Januari (2014). Kelompok teroris buatan kepala intelijen Arab Saudi, Bandar bin Sulthan itu, mengklaim beberapa serangan terhadap sasaran-sasaran Hizbullah.

Tim yang ditugaskan untuk menjalankan proyek jangka panjang itu dibekali dengan pedoman yang dihasilkan dari pertemuan bilateral yang diselenggarakan komandan Brigade al-Quds Jenderal Qassem Soleimani, Sekjen Hizbullah Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah, dan dua wakil puncaknya, Panglima Militer Mustafa Badr al-Din, dan kepala direktorat keamanan Hizbullah Wafiq Safat.

Konferensi itu memutuskan untuk mempertahankan tim pakar Iran di ibukota Libanon secara permanen untuk meningkatkan mekanisme intelijen dan keamanan Hizbullah dalam garis struktural yang sama dengan layanan keamanan dan intelijen Iran.

Konferensi Iran-Hizbullah memilih tiga area untuk meningkatan kemampuan intelijen dan keamanan Hizbullah:
1 . Lembah Beqaa di timur Libanon.
2 . Distrik Dahya di selatan Beirut.
3 . Intelijen lapangan Hizbullah di medan perang Suriah. (IT/rj)

Hizbullah Mendukung dan Memuji Militer Libanon

Islam Times- 

Tentara juga menyita sekitar 100 kilogram bahan peledak, beberapa roket, dan sabuk bahan peledak yang ditempatkan dalam SUV hitam yang diparkir di kawasan Corniche al-Mazraa, tak jauh dari lokasi ditangkap.

bendera Hizbullah

Pada Rabu kemarin (14/2), Hizbullah mengumumkan dukungannya terhadap institusi militer Libanon, menyusul prestasi militer terbaru dalam memerangi dan memberangus "terorisme takfiri".

"Prestasi keamanan canggih militer menambah poin untuk rekam jejak terhormatnya," ujar sebuah pernyataan yang dirilis gerakan perlawanan Islam itu.

"Militer adalah perisai yang melindungi seluruh wilayah Libanon," katanya menambahkan.

Pernyataan itu muncul beberapa jam setelah pihak militer pada Rabu pagi mengumumkan penangkapan Naim Abbas yang merupakan gembong Brigade Abdullah Azzam (organisasi teroris yang terhubung dengan al-Qaeda) asal Palestina. Abbas digambarkan sebagai orang nomor dua dalam lingkaran organisasi teroris itu di Libanon.

Tentara juga menyita sekitar 100 kilogram bahan peledak, beberapa roket, dan sabuk bahan peledak yang ditempatkan dalam SUV hitam yang diparkir di kawasan Corniche al-Mazraa, tak jauh dari lokasi ditangkap.

Pernyataan Hizbullah menjelaskan, "Langkah ini merupakan indikasi dari dedikasi, kerja keras, dan pengorbanan pihak militer yang berkesinambungan guna melindungi rakyat Libanon dari seluruh bahaya yang mengancam mereka, terutama bahaya Zionis dan ancaman takfiri teroris yang menarget warga sipil tak berdosa."
"Kami menyerukan kepada rakyat Libanon, semua pihak dan kelompok, untuk mendukung pihak militer yang sedang melawan gerombolan teroris yang menarget keamanan warga, mengancam masa depan mereka, dan menanam benih hasutan dan perselisihan di tengah mereka."

Seraya menyatakan salut atas kemampuan militer Libanon dalam menghadapi "terorisme", kelompok perlawanan Islam itu juga mendesak warga LIbanon untuk menyadari bahaya ini, dan "menyudahi perselisihan mereka serta bersatu demi menyelamatkan Libanon dari badai yang sedang menggerus wilayah itu. " (IT/N/rj)

Lebanon: A new government set to be formed after Friday Prayers unless minor hurdles emerge

Prime Minister-designate Tamam Salam (Photo: Haitham Moussawi)

Published Friday, February 14, 2014

A new cabinet is expected to be formed in the coming hours in Lebanon, putting an end to months of political deadlock, unless some minor hurdles emerge.

After refusing all negotiations with General Michel Aoun and making up theories about portfolio rotation and the PM- designate powers, stressing that people should come to him not vice versa, a compromise was finally reached between the Future Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement. This came after several meetings and phone calls between Aoun and former PM Saad Hariri, then Minister Gebran Bassil and Hariri’s office manager Nader Hariri, accompanied by Minister Wael Abu Faour.

The Hariri- March 8 agreement sponsored by MP Walid Jumblatt stipulated that no “provocative person” would be allotted the Interior ministry.

 

Following Friday prayers at a mosque near his residence in Mousaytbeh, PM- designate Tammam Salam is set to head to Baabda Palace to meet with President Michel Suleiman. They will agree on the new cabinet, since the political forces that brought them both to power have already approved it. Then a presidential decree would be issued, accepting the resignation of the Mikati government and forming the new Salam cabinet.

This is the expected scenario, unless minor differences over some portfolios emerge.

Major obstacles were crossed, mainly regarding the rotation issue, when Hariri approved alloting the Energy Ministry to Tashnag representative Arthur Nazarian, who belongs to the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc.

Bassil would be given the Foreign Affairs Ministry while the Defense portfolio would go to an Orthodox or a Catholic chosen by the president, which would mean further changes in the distribution of portfolios.

Until late last night, President Suleiman hadn’t yet approved the new sectarian formulas of the Defense and the Foreign Affairs ministries.

Meanwhile, Salam was resentful for being “blown off” by the Future Movement in the Hariri-Aoun negotiations. Practically, Hariri relinquished “the rotation principle after embroiling Salam in it”.

Hariri let Salam down further by depriving the latter’s candidate, Dani Kabbani, from the Energy Ministry, and keeping it with the Change and Reform bloc, “which was considered a red line by the Future Movement for the last ten months”.

The other hurdle concerns the Future Movement candidate for the Interior Ministry. Until last night, it hadn’t revealed its candidate to the “mother of all portfolios”. Some sources wondered whether “the Future Movement is making a trap for the formation deliberations today”.

The Hariri- March 8 agreement sponsored by MP Walid Jumblatt stipulated that no “provocative person” would be allotted the Interior ministry.

Some have mentioned General Ashraf Rifi “but his name was meant to raise the ceiling of negotiations, so we would accept other names, deemed less provocative” March 8 sources said.

Rifi’s name was later withdrawn for the sake of Jamal al-Jarrah and Samir el-Jisr. However, el-Jisr’s name was also withdrawn while Future sources said that al-Jarrah will be allotted the Social Affairs portfolio.

Interestingly, none of the drafts mentioned the names of Hezbollah candidates.

 

Salim Diab later emerged as a possible candidate for the Interior Ministry, but Rifi’s name was again deliberated, which threatens to introduce new hurdles to the cabinet formation.

Sources in the main political forces (Hezbollah, Amal, FPM, the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party) all confirmed that the cabinet will be formed today, before the February 14 rally and before Speaker Nabih Berri leaves to Kuwait.

Meanwhile, President Suleiman, also angered by the political forces that overlooked him in the negotiations process, stressed to his visitors that the government would be announced today, with or without all parties’ approval, or it would be a ‘fait accompli’ one.

After last nights calls and meetings, the draft formation of the new cabinet was as follows:

- The Change and Reform Bloc: Foreign Affairs (Gebran Bassil), Energy, Education, Labor (Rony Araji from Marada)

- Kataeb: Information (Sejaan Kazzi), Environment (Alain Hakim), Justice (Ramzi Jreij, though the Future Movement insists that he is not from Kataeb but belongs to March 14)

- Amal: Finance, Public Works

- Progressive Socialist Party (Walid Jumblatt): Health, Agriculture

- Boutros Harb: Communications

- Future Movement: Interior, Social Affairs, Economy (to a minority representative: Bassem el-Shab or Nabil De Freige), Administrative Development

- The President: Defense, Ministry of the Displaced

- Tammam Salam: Tourism, Culture

Interestingly, none of the drafts mentioned the names of Hezbollah candidates. Salam hasn’t made any portfolio suggestions to Hezbollah and the latter hasn’t given any names to the Prime Minister- designate because it is waiting for the problems to be resolved between Salam and the FPM.

(Al-Akhbar)

Lebanon forms government after 330 days of deadlock

Lebanon announced that it has formed a government on Saturday after more than 330 days of deadlock between the various political blocs. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi)

Published Saturday, February 15, 2014

http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/18643 

Lebanon announced that it has formed a government on Saturday after more than 330 days of deadlock between the various political blocs. 

The announcement was made by Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Suheil Nouji in the afternoon after a meeting was conducted between Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and other officials at the Baabda Presidential Palace outside of Beirut. 

The final line-up of an encompassing 24-member cabinet include: Tammam Salam as Prime Minister, Samir Mokbel as Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Nouhad al-Machnouk as Interior Minister, Sejaan Kazzi as Labour Minister, Boutros Harb as Telecommunication Minister, Gebran Bassil as the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alain Hakim as Minister of Economy and Trade, Elias Bou Saab as the Education Minister, Alice Chabtini as Minister of Displaced, and Michel Faraon as Tourism Minister. 

Arthur Nazarian will head the Energy Ministry, Ghazi Zaiter for Public Works and Transport, Ashraf Rifi for the Justice Ministry, Remond Arayji as Culture Minister, Abdel Matlad Hennawi for Youth and Sports, Hassan al-Haj Hassan for Industry, and both Nabil de Freij and Mohammed Fneish will serve as State Ministers. 

The Finance Minister position goes to Ali Hassan Khalil, while Wael Abou Faour will head the Health Ministry, Ramzi Jreij as Information Minister, Akram Chouhayeb for Agriculture, Rashid Derbas as Social Affairs Minister, and Mohammed Mashnouq as Environment Minister 

After the announcement, Salam vowed that the new cabinet, "will be capable of holding the presidential elections on time and pass a new electoral law."

"After 10 months of efforts, of patience, a government protecting the national interest is born," he said.

"It is a unifying government and the best formula to allow Lebanon to confront challenges." 

A Flurry of Midnight Meetings

Efforts to form a cabinet were at full throttle last night, intent on resolving the key problem of who should be appointed as Minister of Interior. This dispute had almost blown all progress made in the previous days to put together a cabinet lineup acceptable by all rival factions. 

Late into Friday night, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam was still asking President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri to stay awake, as he was planning to announce the formation of his cabinet at night. Salam wanted to have the official group portrait of the new government taken on Saturday noon, and hold the cabinet’s first session before Berri’s scheduled visit to Kuwait.

MP Walid Jumblatt also wanted to get the official decree forming the cabinet issued. Jumblatt wants the negotiations to have a happy outcome as soon as possible.

President Suleiman, as per Salam’s wishes, stayed awake along with some of his advisors and senior staff. Berri, meanwhile, gave up in the end, and told people who were in contact with him that he was going to sleep.

The negotiations stalled and almost collapsed earlier on Friday, though many Lebanese had expected the government to be announced yesterday morning. Things came to a head when Berri and ally Hezbollah vetoed the nomination of retired General Ashraf Rifi as the new Minister of interior, but due to Jumblatt’s mediation, progress was made on this matter by Friday evening. 

According to reports, the head of the Future bloc MP Fouad Siniora had called Tammam Salam late on Thursday, to get an update on the cabinet negotiations. Salam told Siniora that there was a lot of progress, after which Siniora affirmed Future’s demand of assigning the interior ministry to General Rifi. 

Siniora and Berri also spoke. Berri objected to appointing either General Rifi or Future MP Ahmad Fatfat in the post, but Siniora retorted by saying, “You have named the ministers you want, so we shall name the ministers we want. We have already conceded a lot of ground on the subject of the government.” But Berri reiterated his objection, telling Siniora, “We have already agreed on not appointing any provocative figures.”

 

Dialogue between the two leaders ended with both men sticking to their guns. Then on Friday morning, Salam reached out to Berri, who reaffirmed his stance and told Salam, “Our position has nothing to do with Hezbollah’s. This was your decision; from the outset, you said you would propose acceptable figures for the post of interior minister.” 

For his part, Ahmad Hariri, secretary general of the Future Movement, restated Future’s insistence on putting Rifi in the Ministry of Interior. Complicating the situation further, he told reporters, “We will not accept anyone other than General Ashraf Rifi as the minister of interior.” Leading figures in March 14 were also pressuring Saad Hariri to dig in his heels and insist on Rifi’s nomination. 

As the Interior Ministry hitch showed no signs of easing, almost completely upending all that has been agreed upon throughout previous negotiations, Jumblatt intervened through Minister Wael Abu Faour. The Druze politician proposed that Rifi be excluded from the Interior portfolio, and giving it to another figure from Future that would be acceptable to all factions. According to March 8 sources, Hezbollah and Amal agreed, saying, “We have no problem with any name from the Future Movement, with the exception of Rifi and Ahmad Fatfat.” 

Abu Faour conveyed March 8’s position to Salam and Hariri. The discussions then shifted to “finding” a new ministry to appease Rifi, and it was suggested to appoint him as Minister of Labor, instead of Rony Areiji, of the Marada Party. Salam proposed this to Hariri, who then offered Rifi either the Labor or Social Affairs portfolio – to which Rifi responded by saying that he was not seeking a ministerial post or a consolation prize.

Hariri told Jumblatt that he was prepared to make a deal on the interior ministry, but that he needed some time to come up with his nominees for the post, and to work things out with the “hawks” in his party, who are opposed to any concessions to the rival faction, and who “do not see what good can be achieved in forming a government as such” according to sources close to Hariri. 

By Friday night, reports emerged that Hariri intended to nominate MP Nuhad al-Mashnouq for the Interior Ministry, but the names of MP Jamal Jarrah and General Marwan Zein were also floated, the latter being the former director general of the Internal Security Forces and former ambassador to Saudi Arabia. 

Subsequent discussions with Salam also focused on implementing the idea of rotating control of ministries among the factions on other portfolios, which would allow Salam to give the labor ministry to Future, instead of the Marada Party. Negotiations continued until the late hours of Friday night to also address this issue, in addition to the question of which portfolios would be given to Hezbollah. 

In the meantime, President Michel Suleiman called for “not squandering the opportunity, the positive achievements made, and the climate that has prevailed.” Suleiman also stressed that “accord among the rival factions is better than clinging to narratives, as it can eliminate provocation and tension, and open the door wide to the elimination of the quota-based sharing of power and mutual vetoes, for the sake of the country and the citizens.”

(Al Akhbar)

Excerpts of this article are translated from the Arabic Edition.