REPORT: PM-Designate Tammam Salam ends the first day of consultations

Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam ended on Tuesday the first day of consultations to form the new government.

In this regard, MP Salam held a meeting with outgoing PM Najib Mikati who said following the meeting that he called for the formation of a cabinet to supervise the upcoming parliamentary elections.          

Salam also met with the Head of the Change and Reform Bloc MP Michel Aoun and Head of the Future Bloc Former PM Fouad Siniora among other representatives of the Lebanese government.  

Following his meeting with Siniora, PM-Designate Salam met with Deputy Speaker Farid Makari who said that he called on Salam to give the ministries of energy and telecommunications to "competent persons away from political affiliations".                           

Makari also stressed the importance of forming a cabinet to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections.  

Development and Liberation Bloc:               

PM-Designate Salam met with the Development and Liberation Bloc whereby its Secretary General MP Anwar Khalil said the Bloc wished Salam luck in forming the cabinet adding that the atmosphere during the meeting was positive.  

Future Bloc:       

The Future Bloc also said that they wished PM-Designate Salam "good luck" in the task of forming a cabinet that "works as one team".                  

The Bloc called for the formation of a cabinet the soonest possible stressing the importance of the devolution of power and the circulation of governmental portfolios.  

Change and Reform Bloc:                    

Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun said following the Bloc’s meeting with Salam that he will not reveal the issues tackled in the meeting.      

“Only a national unity cabinet may face the situation that Lebanon is currently facing,” MP Aoun said.  

Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc: 

National Struggle Front:  

National Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt said that his bloc did not relay any specific request to Salam, pointing out that its main goals are maintaining Lebanon’s stability and holding the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Jumblatt added that “MP Salam will definitely be seeking a governmental formula that serves all Lebanese parties”.

Michel Murr and Nayla Tueni:

Following a meeting held between MPs Michel Murr and Nayla Tueni with PM-Designate Salam, MP Murr said that they do not have any specific requests in regards to the formation of the cabinet.

Zahle MPs:

As for the Zahle bloc MPs, they called on Salam to form the cabinet the soonest possible in order to get the country out of the "dark stage witnessed during the mandate of the previous cabinet" underscoring the importance of giving governmental portfolios to specialized persons that do not cause any tension among political factions.

Lebanese Forces:

The Lebanese Forces called for the formation of a technocratic, neutral government whose members are not running for the parliamentary elections.

The deputies asked Salam to form a cabinet that supervises the upcoming elections and abides by the Baabda declaration.

Kataeb Party:

The Kataeb party called on MP Salam to work for maintaining the security situation and form a cabinet that holds the parliamentary elections on the basis of a fair electoral law.

For his part, MP Sami Gemayel called for the effective participation of women in the new cabinet.    

Unity of the Mountain Bloc:

MP Talal Arsaln vowed support to the formation of a national unity cabinet that works for the benefit of Lebanon.

Arslan said that Lebanese factions need to unite in order to face the upcoming entitlements.

Free United Lebanon bloc:

MP Sleiman Franjieh assured following his Bloc’s meeting with MP Salam that his bloc is not seeking specific portfolios in the cabinet; but instead, it’s seeking Lebanon’s interest.

Separate Meetings:

Prior to the consultations, PM-Designate Salam met with House Speaker Nabih Berri.  

On the sidelines of the consultations, a meeting was held between Speaker Nabih Berri, FPM Leader MP Michel Aoun, Marada Leader Sleiman Franjieh, caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, caretaker Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, and MP Ibrahim Kannan.        

Salam was named Prime Minister-Designate after the second round of the binding parliamentary consultations to name a prime minister ended on April 6 at the Baabda Palace, with 124 deputies nominating Salam as Prime Minister.       

Mikati resigned last month after two fraught years in office during which he sought to contain sectarian tensions, street violence and economic fallout from the civil war raging in neighboring Syria.                      

Salam's main task will be to steer the fractious country towards a parliamentary election which is due in June but is now widely expected to face delays.         

Mikati resigned following a cabinet dispute with Hezbollah and its allies - who brought him to power in early 2011 - over extending the term of a top security official and preparations for the parliamentary vote.         

A former minister from a prominent political dynasty, Salam won the backing on Thursday of the Saudi- and Western-backed March 14 political coalition after talks brokered in Saudi Arabia.


For the full report, please click on the VIDEO above.