Cabinet Formation Process Gathers Pace as Salam Meets Jumblat

The cabinet formation process, which had been slow in the past weeks, began witnessing some developments after Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam held talks with centrist Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat and officials from the March 8 alliance.

Reports said that Salam met on Thursday night with Jumblat, who returned to Beirut following a visit to the UK.

Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, who is loyal to Jumblat, told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper published Sunday that the cabinet formation process will start moving forward.

Abu Faour believed that all political parties could be represented in the new government, but stressed that Salam would not allow them to choose their portfolios.

“The logic of fighting on the division of portfolios is no longer applicable,” he said.

On Sunday evening, al-Manar television quoted Jumblat as saying that he is in "constant contact with Salam by telephone."

He revealed that Abu Faour will meet Salam to discuss the latest developments.

Salam's meeting with the PSP chief away from the media spotlight on Thursday night was followed by similar talks with a representative of Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Minister Ali Hassan Khalil.

Syrian Social National Party Caretaker Minister Ali Qanso, who made an announced visit to the PM-designate on Saturday, reiterated the call for the formation of a purely political cabinet.

But officials who visited Salam told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that the PM-designate reiterated his principles of having neutral or non provocative figures who are not running in the parliamentary elections given that the government's main mission will be the supervision of the polls.

Salam wants to avoid dragging political differences into the cabinet, the officials, who were not identified, said.

They said however that Salam hadn't thought about the formation of a fait accompli cabinet despite reports that he had proposed to President Michel Suleiman a short 14-member government.

Salam was tasked by Suleiman with forming the new cabinet after he received the support of 124 out of 128 MPs during binding consultations at Baabda palace.

But conflicting demands have so far prevented the formation of the government. The Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance wants a cabinet of political figures to be able to address security concerns while the March 14 coalition is after cabinet members who are not running in the parliamentary elections.