This minister has been described by the Majority as the king minister that will provide the opposition with the guaranteed third they have been demanding.
The majority has been opposed to the idea of a guaranteed third for the opposition which amounts to a veto power by the opposition .
The president according to media reports is also not comfortable with the idea of a king minister and is willing to accept a cabinet based on a formula of 19 - 11 ( 19 for the majority and 11 for the opposition) provided the parties agree.
The opposition has been threatening to go to the streets similar to what it did on May 7 2008 if it does not get a guaranteed third in the cabinet . FPM's Issam Abu Jamra insisted that the opposition should get a guaranteed third because he said: " Fighting inside the cabinet is better than fighting in the streets. "
Meanwhile PM designate Saad Hariri has been quietly trying to put together a cabinet that will be acceptable to all. He is expected to meet soon with the president to propose his new cabinet.
Even though the Hezbollah-led opposition lost the parliamentary elections last June they are trying to use the power of their arms to make up for their loss in the polls. This is why the issue of Hezbollah arms will be the dominant subject when the dialogue talks resume after the cabinet is formed
For more details about the makeup of the Lebanese cabinet please refer to Monday's editorial
Tuesday
7:00 pm The Druze Religious Council: "UNIFIL forces in the south was never an enemy for the Lebanese people and must never turn into one," the council said after its regular meeting presided by Sheikh Naim Hassan
6:15pm President Michel Suleiman met Minister of State Nassib Lahoud at Baabda Palace.
5:30pm Premier-designate Saad Hariri is meeting with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams.
5:15pm The army arrested fugitive Haitham Amhaz in Hay al-Sellom.
3:20pm Minister Ghazi al-Aridi: The ministry of public works will deliver all rights to their owners if it maintains the same level of performance.
2:15pm Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar is meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh.
2:00pm Four Israeli tanks were deployed at a 100-meter distance from the Gate of Hassan Qassab amid military over-flights. The army and UNIFIL were placed on high alert.
1:55pm Marada leader Suleiman Franjiyeh: The opposition is clinging to its demand for veto power. Let them give us the 11th minister and we won’t argue about shares.
1:17pm The tripartite meeting in Naqoura ended. A statement will be issued later.
1:10pm MP Raad after meeting the president: I felt there is some progress which leads to more improvement in the cabinet issue.
12:45pm Amyoun-Koura residents condemned lack of water supply. They held a protest headed by Ghassan Karam, deputy president of the municipality.
12:15pm Iranian ambassador Mohammed Reza Shibani after meeting the foreign minister: I am optimistic about formation of a cabinet. Everyone should be optimistic and have high hopes.
11:45 MP Oqab Saqr told New TV: Hariri is presenting an inter-Lebanese solution for the cabinet. Maybe Lebanon could become a gateway for Arab agreement. I don’t think the opposition would give Aoun the 6 ministers that he asking for.
11:35 MP Hikmat Deeb told New TV: Contacts between Hariri and Aoun over cabinet formation are almost nonexistent. But the opposition still holds onto its demands for veto power, proportional representation and respect for true partnership.
11:30 Caretaker PM-Fouad Siniora met with Papal Ambassador to Lebanon Luigi Gatti who made a farewell visit.
11:18 MP Elie Aoun told al-Sharq radio: The meeting between MPs Walid Jumblatt and Michel Aoun hasn’t matured yet. The Bikfaya meeting is a positive improvement on the Christian front.
11:15 Minister Tony Karam told LBC: The atmosphere is positive regarding a meeting between LF leader Samir Geagea and Marada head Suleiman Franjiyeh. Nothing prevents such a meeting from taking place.
11:00 MP Ahmed Fatfat told Future News: The main obstacle is in demands for veto power to change the Lebanese political system. We are in a political battle. The issue is not about cabinet formation.
10:56 Williams calls for Israel to remove observation post from Kfar Shouba
09:25 March 14 sources told al Rai : Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has once again brought up the issue of the arms in an attempt to maximize gain in the new cabinet at the expense of the majority
09:19 Shortly a security meeting will be held in Naqoura between officers of the army and UNIFIL to discuss the violations of UNSCR 1701
09:05 55 who were wanted were arrested for committing various crimes
8:30 MP Butros Harb told VOL: There is a serious attempt by President Suleiman and Hariri to reach a settlement on a Cabinet lineup during the remaining days of July.
08:11 BBC : A boat carrying up to 200 migrants from Haiti has capsized off the coast of the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos, the US Coast Guard says.
08:10 : An Islamic fundamentalist group in northern Nigeria expanded its attacks into three additional states on Monday, a day after at least 50 people died during fighting between the group and security forces in Bauchi State
8:00 Bloomberg : US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pledged to rein in the US deficit as China underscored concern about preserving the value of its $801.5 billion of Treasury holdings.
07:35 Salhab told "Voice of Lebanon:" I think the optimism of President Berri is for real and it is very possible that we will see some positive developments in the next two days, but I do not expect a government to be formed before the end of the month
07:15 Allan Aoun: Any Christian reconciliation needs time to be studied in depth so as not to become just a meeting
07:05 opposition source told Al Akhbar :" We are concerned that the regional equation is still in control of the government formation
06:52 Aoun visitors : There are no indications that the serious issues have been resolved with regards to the government
06:43 Al Akhbar : President Suleiman suggested the names of Adnan al Sayyed Hussein and Talal al Miqdad , and wants to pick one as his Shiite share in the cabinet provided there is no veto against him by the Shiites
06:08 An MP who is close to Hariri told al Akhbar : the solution that Hariri will present will be Lebanese - Lebanese and could serve as the gateway to the Syrian - Saudi Arabia solution
06:00 Salloukh told An Nahar: we have included in our response what is needed and we based our response on what we received from the Lebanese army in describing what really happened . ( In reference to the Kherbet Selim explosion of arms depot)
05:50 As Safir : Jumblatt suggested to Hariri the name of Talal Arslan as one of the 3 Druze ministers on condition he will be included in the share of the share of the opposition
05:45 As Safir : Adnan al Sayyed Hussein is the guaranteed third ( king minster , obstructive third or veto power as described by March 14) of the opposition, and he will be included in the share of the President of the Republic
05:38 "An-Nahar:" President Suleiman rejected the concept of " King minister," and stressed that he is willing to accept accepted him based on a formula of 19 - 11 ( 19 for the majority and 11 for the opposition) provided the parties agree
05:28 Marada sources: The Suleiman - Franjiyeh meeting was excellent
05:20 Ba'abda visitors told an Nahar : Much of what has been quoted about President Suleiman is inaccurate and can be best described as "conflicting leaks "
Monday
11:10 pm : Hariri discussed with Jumblatt the current status of cabinet formation
8:30pm Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel visited PM-designate Hariri at his mansion in downtown Beirut and discussed the overall political situation in the country with special focus on establishment of a new Cabinet.
06:55 pm Reconciliation in Kherbet Selim during a meeting held between the town’s Municipality, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah , Amal MP Ali Bazzi, and UNIFIL Commander Claudio Graziano
05:50 pm Jumblatt wrote in Al-Anbaa newspaper: “Is it acceptable to allow Israeli President Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two symbols of Zionism, to participate in the ceremony of the Egyptian Embassy in Israel in order to commemorate the revolution and talk about peace?"
05:49 pm Fatfat in response to Berri: Jumblatt is still in March 14 and his ministers will be included in the majority
05:10 pm president Suleiman praised Franjiyeh’s effort to reconcile with other Lebanese parties
5:05pm Phalange leader Amin Gemayel met Environment Minister Tony Karam, who was dispatched by LF leader Samir Geagea.
04:35 pm Zahle in our Heart MP Okab Sakr told Akhbar al-Yaum: Hariri will propose a road map to Suleiman to resolve cabinet crisis. He added :“Within days, Lebanese will know which party aims at ending the crisis in Lebanon, and which one wants to obstruct the institutions’ work.”
4:15pm PM-designate Saad Hariri received Qatari Deputy PM al-Attiya at Center House, discussions focused on current developments and bilateral relations.
02:45 pm President Michel Suleiman meets with Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjiyeh in Baabda
02:39 pm US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell called on Arab states on Monday to fully normalize ties with Israel after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
02:30 pm US Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrives in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II, AFP reports
1 :58 pm President Michel Suleiman called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday to discuss his meeting with US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell
1 :55pm Sfeir calls for relying on Taif Accord to form cabinet. He stressed that the president has an active role in forming the cabinet and safeguarding the constitution.
1:50pm FPM leader Michel Aoun in his weekly editorial: We no longer know where and who is forming the cabinet
12:40 pm President Sarkozy left hospital today as officials denied that a heart problem had led to his collapse during a run yesterday. Sarkozy walked out of Val-de-Grâce military hospital in Paris and shook hands with medical staff before climbing into a state limousine with Carla Bruni, his wife.
12:39pm four wounded in a traffic accident near army checkpoint on the Tripoli -Dineyeh road
12:28pm UNFIL chief : we are doing all we can for the sake of the prosperity of the southern Lebanese residents by maintaining security and peace in cooperation with the Lebanese army
