Lebanon's PM-designate says making progress in forming cabinet

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Fuad Seniora on Wednesday briefed President Emile Lahoud on his consultations to form the new government, saying he is making progress in the efforts.

In press statements after the meeting, Seniora termed his talks with Lahoud as "good," adding "I believe we are making progress towards forming this government."

"We call on various parties to cooperate... to remove all differences" over the makeup of the cabinet, he said.

The premier-designate expressed hope that the new government would be able to meet all the aspirations of the Lebanese people.

It will also be capable of addressing all political, social and economic problems and carrying out reforms, he added.

Seniora is due to meet later Wednesday with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to post him on his efforts to form the government.

It was reported that a key stumbling block facing Seniora's efforts are demands by the pro-Syria Shiite Muslim Amal-Hizbollah alliance, which won 14 parliament seats in last month's elections, to appoint a Shiite foreign minister.

Political sources have revealed Siniora wants to give the portfolio to former Foreign Minister Fouad Boutrous, a Christian.

Meanwhile, Christian leader Michel Aoun, a long-time critic of Syria who leads a 21-member bloc in parliament, has said he will not be represented in the government after his demands for the Justice Ministry were turned down.

Lebanon was plunged into political crisis after the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, which forced the complete withdrawal of Syrian troops in late April and the holding of parliament elections last month under pressures from both anti-Syrian opposition parties and the West-led international community.

President Lahoud on June 30 appointed Siniora as prime minister to head the first cabinet without Syrian military presence since the country's 1975-1990 civil war, after the newly-elected parliament approved Siniora's nomination with a majority of 126 backing him.

Siniora, 62, served as finance minister in five governments led by slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri from 1992 to 2004.

The 128-seat parliament also re-elected Nabih Berri earlier as speaker for a four-year term in its first session after the elections completed on June 19.

Lebanon's sectarian system divides top government posts among its main religious communities. The country's president is always a Maronite Christian, the prime minister, a Sunni Muslim while the parliament speaker a Shiite.

Source: Xinhua