Saniora Travels to Riyadh for Talks with Hariri over Cabinet Formation

Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora returned to Lebanon on Tuesday after a short visit to the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, for talks with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri concerning the latest local and regional developments.

According to An Nahar newspaper, talks between al-Mustaqbal chief Saad Hariri and Saniora will focus on the latest developments regarding the cabinet formation process.

Saniora is accompanied by MP Nouhad al-Mashnouq and Hariri's adviser Nader Hariri.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, a 67-year-old moderate, was appointed in April two weeks after the resignation of Premier Najib Miqati.

However, Salam has been facing a difficulty in forming his cabinet over Free Patriotic Movement Chief MP Michel Aoun's unswerving stance to retain the energy and telecommunications ministries and his rejection to adopt the concept of rotating ministerial portfolios.

Aoun has rejected the rotation of portfolios as part of a deal struck between the rival parties on the 24-member cabinet based on the 8-8-8 formula, hinting that he would pull his ministers out of it and drawing the support of his allies in the March 8 alliance.

Al-Mustaqbal have recently staged a campaign against the FPM, accusing the party of impeding the cabinet formation by setting new conditions.