An-Nahar: Berri abstains from mediation role with Mikati

Gemayel to An-Nahar: For a session with one sole item on its agenda

Hezbollah remains positive about renewed efforts in the Cabinet formation process while Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has pulled out as a mediator in the formation process as result of the languid relationship he has developed with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati after a decision to hold a general session at Parliament.

Mikati held talks with Hussein Khalil, the political aide to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. MP Ali Hassan Khalil, Berri's political aide, did not make the meeting but is said to have discussed issues with Mikati on the telephone.

An-Nahar has learned that Mikati’s discussions with Nasrallah’s aide turned to the issues from a general perspective and Mikati is still waiting for the proposed list of ministerial candidates he is expecting from Hezbollah and the head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun.

The sole breakthrough that was achieved was Aoun’s agreeing to 10 ministers, eight of which would hold ministerial posts and one a state portfolio. In return, Aoun is demanding a say on the sixth Maronite post and wants to hold onto the energy and telecoms ministries, the latter he insists remains in Charbel Nahhas’ hands.

Kataeb (Phalange) party leader and former President Amin Gemayel told An-Nahar that he remains in constant contact with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and that during a meeting with the PSP leader they had stressed to maintain this level of contact, understanding and talks about issues facing Lebanon.

“The Kataeb will not change its stand and is not asking from Jumblatt to change his position despite our open reservations about the practices and positions of his allies. The meeting [with Jumblatt] did not look into the subject of forming a middle party,” Gemayel said.

Gemayel also said a deal had been reached with Jumblatt to limit the general session at Parliament to one clear and specific item on its agenda. “If there is more than one item on the agenda that lead to the legislation on many issues then we completely refuse [to participate],” he said.

Al-Balad: All eyes on "Sunday's Naksa" Day ...

Set-back in Wednesday’s meeting

"Naksa Day" is likely to pass without incident after weeks of military preparations and the substitution of border protesters with demonstrations and strikes within the Palestinian refugee camps and this after vigorous efforts by the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon. The Israelis one the other side of the border are running patrols and placing an early warning system.

Ad-Diyar: Optimism of the new majority is scrapped by new conditions

Aoun suggests names for ministries, on Mikati to conclude

The current political atmosphere suggests that the Cabinet formation journey has reached its final stage, as Free Patriotic Movement lawmakers are speaking about an international decision not to allot the telecoms, defense and interior ministry portfolios to the movement.

Last night, reports said FPM cheif MP Michel Aoun had suggested names for the ministries - justice, energy, education - to Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, while the president and the FPM have already agreed on Brig. Marwan Charbel for the Interior Ministry. This way, Aoun would have forced Mikati to make the final decision and announce the Cabinet lineup Monday.

Despite reported optimism, many hurdles have not been resolved such as Hezbollah’s determination to nominate Minister Faisal Omar Karami for the Sunni representation. Also, the new majority insists on reappointing caretaker Telecoms Minister Charbel Nahhas. Therefore, some sources close to the process of Cabinet formation say that the optimism is overrated, adding that the Cabinet will not be formed soon. They also say that there are external hurdles which are obstructing the process amid financial trouble by Arab countries.

As for the parliamentary session scheduled for next week, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri insists on his position: work on pushing the process of Cabinet formation and convene a parliamentary session to solve many key issues for the country, despite the decision by March 14 coalition lawmakers, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt’s bloc, and the two MPs Ahmad Karami, Imad Hout and Mikati’s not to attend the session.

Berri is determined to convene regardless. His invitation stems from his constitutional and legal right that the Parliament is independent and the fact that the assembly can convene under a caretaker government for the public good.

Sources close to Berri said that the legislative work was a continuous effort especially that the country is in need of the Parliament’s work. Therefore, if the head of the Parliament takes the initiative to convene, everyone should participate instead of practicing political petulance.

Sources say Jumblatt is preparing to take part in a reconciliation process to amend the parliamentary agenda to include a single item which is voting on extending the term of the Central Bank governor, the only thing all lawmakers would agree on.

Sources also say that the meeting between Berri and Mikati had been cancelled yesterday due to Mikati’s decision not to participate in the general session.

As for the Cabinet issue, the new majority seems optimistic. Mikati’s visitors spoke of progress as the Cabinet process is moving faster. But we can’t say that all issues have been cleared. They also said that Sayyed Hasan Nassralah is not pressuring Aoun to give up some of his conditions.

Sources close to the new majority said Jumblatt insisted on naming Alaa Terro for the Sunni representation and to allot the public works and social affairs ministries to Ghazi Aridi and Wael Abou Faour respectively.

This means that the minister of state portfolio will be allotted to Talal Arslan as the Druze representation can only have three ministerial portfolios, which is what Arslan rejects. The new majority believes that Arslan has to resolve this issue with Jumblatt rather than Mikati.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Kaouk said that every time the new majority reaches a final stage, the U.S. tries to obstruct the process.

In the south, the Israel-Lebanon border is witnessing increased Israeli military patrols along the southern town of Adaysseh, Kfar Kala, Fatima Gate and Shabaa farms.

Al-Hayat: Cancelling Wednesday’s parliamentary session gives way for a final stage of Cabinet formation: deciding on names

Parliamentary sources confirmed that canceling the parliamentary session scheduled next Wednesday would allow for further consultations regarding the Cabinet formation process, which has recently intensified to eliminate some obstacles obstructing the formation since Jan. 25.

The dispute continued between March 14 coalition lawmakers who described the parliamentary session as unconstitutional and the March 8 alliance's call to legislate in order to extend the term for Central Bank governor Riad Salameh.

Berri had called lawmakers to convene for a session suggesting an agenda of 49 items, not approved by the Parliament Secretariat. But March 14 politicians, Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and two Tripoli members of Parliament will not attend the session bringing down the number of participants to 65 , while Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who has seven MPs, is said to attend on one condition: that the agenda should only have the item concerning the extension of Salameh’s term.

Berri, then, would have to cancel the session, but will call for another session the week after to demonstrate his right to convene the parliament under a caretaker government. The dispute over the session took a different turn: who has the final word to run the country’s affairs under a caretaker Cabinet, which adds sectarian and personal dimensions to the argument.

It is worth noting that the Higher Shiite Council Saturday called to preserve national unity, state institutions, respect the country’s system and its parliamentary decisions. While Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai criticized the delay in Cabinet formation, adding that political leaders do not have the right to deprive the people.

There were conflicting reports regarding efforts to resolve the hurdles, but Mikati’s decision not to attend the Parliament session indicates that the new Cabinet might be able to extend Salameh’s term.

The fact that Hezbollah and Berri’s aids have agreed with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun over the FPM’s ministerial portfolios indicates that the main hurdle has been eliminated and Aoun is no longer responsible for the delay.