Lebanon PM vows to form cabinet in time for promised polls
AFP
Date: 04-18-05
BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanon's prime minister designate Nagib Miqati vowed to form a government as soon as possible with the limited goal of organizing parliamentary elections by a May deadline and tackling a worsening economic crisis.
Miqati, a compromise choice agreed by the opposition and pro-Syrian supporters of the outgoing government last week, wrapped up mandatory consultations in parliament, raising hopes of an end to Lebanon's worst political crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
But in reminder of the violence that sparked the crisis, Lebanon learned of the death of former minister Bassel Fleihan from wounds sustained in the February 14 blast that killed Rafiq Hariri, a five-time prime minister turned Damascus critic.
Miqati said he would meet President Emile Lahoud early Tuesday ahead of further consultations later in the day.
He said he detected an emerging consensus in favour of a narrow-based government with the limited role of organizing next month's elections.
"We will try to announce the new government as soon as possible," he vowed.
"Most consultations focused on a narrow-based government, with a priority for members who will not be candidates in the polls.
"The main objective of this new government is to draft an electoral law and organise the elections before the constitutional deadline.
"As soon as the government is formed, we will take all measures to speed up the process of holding the vote."
Miqati, who also met business and professional leaders, said the new government would also focus on "meeting the economic challenges in the country and protecting monetary stability."
There were conflicting reports about whether the opposition would take part in the government or content itself with approving its mission from the wings.
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper that he wanted the opposition to take part to ensure that its demands were met.
But after a meeting Monday, other opposition MPs said the priority was not participation in cabinet but the holding of timely elections and the sacking of security chiefs accused of negligence or worse over Hariri's murder.
"It is easier to form a narrow-based government," MP Marwan Hamadeh said.
"Whether we support the new government in a confidence vote depends on whether its programme includes the pledges (Miqati) has made."
The wealthy telecommunications businessman last week won the backing of opposition leaders despite his close ties with Syria after he pledged to meet some of their demands.
Miqati's appointment came after massive protests following Hariri's killing prompted his pro-Syrian predecessor Omar Karameh to tender his resignation twice in six weeks.
The international community has been pushing for next month's elections to go ahead on time despite the political deadlock.
The French foreign ministry said organizing them should be the new government's "first task", while Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal appealed for "the Lebanese to agree with each other... because there is not much time before elections".
The death of Fleihan, a 42-year-old economics expert who was travelling with Hariri when he was killed, brought the death toll from the huge bomb blast on the Beirut seafront to 20.
The assassination was widely blamed by the opposition on the then Lebanese government and its political masters in Damascus, who have now pledged to pull out all their troops from Lebanon by the end of this month.
A UN source in Beirut said UN chief Kofi Annan will present a progress report on Tuesday on Syria's implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 which calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon.
The United Nations has also launched an international commission of inquiry into Hariri's murder after a UN factfinding mission found serious shortcomings in Lebanon's own investigation.
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