Opposition Leaders Meet, Discuss Situation

Source: Al-Manar TV, 24-6-2008
Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun and the head of the Marada movement former minister Suleiman Franjieh met on Friday and discussed the latest developments in light of the Doha agreement, according to Lebanese daily As-Safir.
The daily said that different scenarios were raised during the meeting concerning the necessity to accelerate the formation of the national-unity government approved at the Doha agreement. The conferees agreed on remaining open towards initiatives and ideas, stressing that the national opposition would reject all ideas that seek to weaken General Aoun in the next parliamentary elections.
As-Safir said that Hizbullah and Amal movement noted they wouldn't object to assigning the sovereign portfolio of their part to a Shiite figure to be nominated by General Aoun as a possible exit out of the crisis, paving the way for accelerating the cabinet formation. They wished the other bloc would respond positively to this proposal, mainly through breaking the veto they had put on some main portfolios such as the justice and the communication ministries.
The opposition leaders also decided to encourage the President of the Republic Michel Suleiman to pressure all political parties so that the government sees light as soon as possible, noting that the new reign is mainly hurt from the status-quo.
The Lebanese daily said that the opposition leaders refused that the actual situation persists, saying that it was unacceptable for everything to remain open to all possibilities. It noted that, if the government was not formed soon, Qatar would interfere to put an end to the ongoing crisis.