BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Monday that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has promised him to hold off for the time being on launching an initiative to resolve the Cabinet crisis.
“I informed Speaker Berri of what I think regarding the Cabinet crisis and he promised me to delay launching any round of contacts,” Mikati told reporters after stepping out of his meeting with Berri in Ain al-Tineh.
Mikati suspended Cabinet sessions last week after a dispute over civil service appointments between him and ministers from Aoun's Change and Reform bloc. He has said that he will not call a Cabinet session until the parties agree on a mechanism to revive the productivity of the government.
Meanwhile, a Hezbollah delegation headed by the party's politburo head Ghaleb Abu Zainab met with MP Michel Aoun Monday
Previously, Berri and President Michel Sleiman had separately downplayed the problem paralyzing the Cabinet’s work, while Aoun accused Mikati of abusing his powers, As-Safir reported Monday.
“I haven’t intervened to resolve the Cabinet issue because, first, no one asked me to and, second, I feel the issue is in principle deliberate and exaggerated,” Berri told the daily in an interview published Monday.
“The reasons for the problem over the appointments are not convincing,” he added.
Aoun and Mikati have accused each other of obstructing the work of the government.
Meanwhile, Sleiman, who also spoke to As-Safir in an interview Monday, said the issue’s resolution lies in adhering to principles and applying the law.
“The way out is by adhering to the law and general principles in political work. Attacking a political party or disrespecting a lawmaker’s status cannot resolve anything,” Sleiman said.
Aoun, for his part, told As-Safir that Mikati had abused his powers by suspending Cabinet sessions, saying the Constitution stipulated that ministers should meet on a regular basis.
Aoun also denied that he was obstructing the work of the government and stunting its productivity and held Mikati responsible for the disruption.
“The president and the prime minister are taking turns at confronting me … as if there is a deal between them against me,” Aoun said.
“We will not succumb to manipulation or intimidation and I advise everyone not to play this game with us,” he added.