Region | Lebanon

Lebanese leaders close to deal on unity government

Lebanese leaders are close to a deal on the formation of a national unity government as stipulated in an agreement that ended the country's political crisis, political sources said on Saturday.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 16:20 July 5, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora (left) meets opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun in Beirut on Saturday.
  • Image Credit: Reuters

Beirut: Lebanese leaders are close to a deal on the formation of a national unity government as stipulated in an agreement that ended the country's political crisis, political sources said on Saturday.

They said the new government, in which Hezbollah and its allies would have a blocking minority, could be announced as early as Saturday.

Lebanon's US-backed majority coalition and the opposition, led by the Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, signed a Qatari-brokered deal in Doha on May 21 that pulled the country back from the brink of a new civil war.

President Michel Suleiman was elected four days later in line with the deal, but squabbling over cabinet portfolios has held up the formation of a government.

The sources from both sides said the breakthrough in the government came after a series of contacts by Qatari Prime Minister Shiekh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani with rival leaders.

The new government, led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, would have two Hezbollah ministers in addition to nine ministers from its Shiite Muslim, Druze and Christian allies.

The ruling coalition would have 16 ministers while the remaining three ministers in the 30-member cabinet would be picked by the president, the sources said.

Personalities close to Suleiman would be assigned the key defence and interior portfolios.

Leaders were holding intense contacts to finalise the cabinet list. Once the names of the ministers are finalised, Siniora would meet Suleiman and announce his line up.

"Final touches are being put on the list of names. It could be finished today or it might take a little bit longer," one source said.

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

More from Lebanon

  1. Unity Cabinet unlikely to tackle divisive arms issue

  2. Hezbollah leader lashes out at Obama

  3. New Lebanese regime's priorities

  4. Lebanon's unity cabinet comes under scrutiny

All articles in Lebanon

More from Region

Gulf News
Popular in News
News Editor's choice