Suleiman to start consultations on a new Lebanese premier-designate

Sep 11, 2009, 17:16 GMT

Beirut - Lebanese President Michel Suleiman will start parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister on September 15 and 16, an official source said Friday.

Hariri said Thursday he was stepping down as prime minister- designate after nearly three months of trying to form a unity government.

The announcement by Hariri followed 73 days of fruitless efforts to form a government. Under the constitution, Hariri had 70 days to form his new government after being named.

Suleiman will hold consultations with all parliamentary blocs in the 128-member parliament, and 'it is likely that Hariri will be named again,' a government source said.

MP Ammar Houri, of Hariri's Future bloc, denied that Hariri's decision to step down was calculated to get himself reappointed, and said only that Hariri was considering whether or not he would like to be nominated again.

Houri highlighted Hariri's 'sacrifices' in the cabinet lineup presented to President Michel Suleiman, stressing that 'even though the opposition was granted most of the service ministries....they are to blame for the delay in the government formation.'

Houri added that parliamentary consultations would take place 'but with different bases,' especially the previously agreed 15-10-5 cabinet formula, which grants the majority 15 ministers, the opposition 10 and the president five.

'The old formula led us nowhere and cannot be adopted again,' Houri said.

Hariri Monday submitted his proposed 30-member cabinet to Suleiman, but without the crucial approval of the opposition parties, including Hezbollah.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naem Kassem said during a Ramadan dinner that there were 'rules' for Hezbollah's contribution to the cabinet formation.

These, he said, were 'a national unity government based on a 15- 10-5 formula, participation of all parties within the opposition in the future cabinet, and flexible dialogue and concessions during the cabinet formation.'

Druze leader MP Walid Jumblatt said that he would take part only in a national unity government, and would not be part of a 'single- colored cabinet' that some parties were promoting.

He stressed that the Lebanese should continue to uphold the 15-10- 5 cabinet formula, especially after he was informed of calls by some majority leaders that they want to banish the formula altogether.

Jumblatt said that the majority would again nominate Hariri, adding that after his resignation, Lebanon needed to focus on rapprochement between Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt.

Hariri meanwhile left Beirut for talks in Saudi Arabia.