As expected the demands are enormous and in order to satisfy all the faction a cabinet of 100 ministers may be needed . General Aoun for example is insisting on seven ministerial posts, up from five in current caretaking cabinet and this is despite the fact that he was described by analysts as the biggest loser in the election.
Sadly, the real solution for the cabinet formation lies elsewhere. According to morning media reports, the cabinet will see the light following a tripartite summit which is being planned in Damascus on July 16 and which will be attended by Saudi Arabia , Syria and Lebanon. According to Arab diplomatic sources, Saudi Arabia is throwing all its weight behind improvement of the Lebanese -Syrian relations and specially between Assad and Hariri.
Despite the fact that all factions are openly calling for calm, what we are really seeing now in Beirut is an ugly reminder of the events that took place on May 7 , 2008 when Hezbollah backed by its pro- Syrian allies occupied west Beirut and tried unsuccessfully to occupy Mount Lebanon. Here are the signs:
* Too many suspicious fires are taking place according to Interior minister Ziad Baroud, despite the fact that the fire season hasn’t started yet
* Too many armed people in the streets of Beirut , according security sources
* Motorcycle processions have been circulating for two days in various parts of Beirut targeting certain houses and institutions within the framework of "provocation and friction", security sources reported
* The armed clash the Sunni neighborhood of Aisha Bakkar , which resulted in the killing of a 30 year old woman and the wounding of six others
The big question on the mind of many Lebanese: Are all these signs meant to pressure Hariri to yield to the demand (of the opposition ) of veto power in the new cabinet ? If so then this is May 7, 2008 again and again.
Wednesday
09:50pm Minister Marouni told "Future News": We are sorry to see that one of the groups is still affected by decisions of foreign States.
09:45pm Minister Aoun told "Future News": We see a retreat in Hariri's role with regards to the formation of the government in favor of the Foreign moves as if we are unable to form a government that is "Made in Lebanon"
09:34pm prime minister designate Saad Hariri, left for Jeddah this evening
08:27pm judicial police raided some areas of Brital and seized stolen cars and arrested one of the suspects
08:26pm army command announced the arrest of 21 people that took part in the Aisha Bakkar riots
08:15pm OTV : the Lebanese army arrested on Tuesday afternoon, four people from the al Mustaqbal that were involved in Aisha Bakkar riots
08:08pm Interior minister Baroud told New TV: The fire-fighting helicopters are part of the air force, but require special training and we cannot use before the completion of the training which is a matter of days
07:43pm The Hariri Educational Development Complex in Sidon was subjected to gunfire on Wednesday evening by some individuals. The incident causes remain unknown. Police and the military rushed to the scene. An investigation is underway.
07:05pm Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Osseiri told Now Lebanon: Saudi-Syrian talks will reflect positively on Lebanon . Increasing presidential powers normal and necessary step . Security situation in Lebanon is red line, Aisha Bakkar events very regretful .
06:20pm Future Movement MP Nohad Mashnouq said that all the Members of Parliament representing the city of Beirut will continue working until they can declare the capital “a safe city.”
06:10pm A second child may have survived the Yemen Airways jet crash that took place early Tuesday morning.
06:00pm A French government minister has reversed earlier claims that a "black box" recorder from the Yemeni plane that crashed in the Indian Ocean has been found.
05:55 pm The two main opposition candidates in Iran's disputed June 12 election (Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi) refused Wednesday to accept the formally proclaimed victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and branded his government as illegitimate, defying warnings from Iran's leaders that no further protests would be tolerated following official certification of the results.
05:35pm U.S. Embassy: United States is committed to improving the capacity of the Lebanese army and will continue to support the Lebanese government
5:12pm MP Michel Aoun after bloc's weekly meeting: The elections were a market for slave trade. We will challenge the elections results in the place where evidence of irregularities is clear. I believe the formation of the government is still early. We are neither against nor with the president.
4:30pm Hezbollah's second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem said the opportunity was fitting for an efficient accord in a government of national unity. He said the polls produced a delicate balance that prevents one team from overstepping the other.
2:15pm The March 14 general secretariat called for declaring Beirut a demilitarized and safe city.
02:05 pm NY Times : In an apparent sign of the Iranian regime’s edginess after weeks of protests by demonstrators demanding new elections, Ahmadinejad canceled a planned trip to Libya on Wednesday, Reuters reported, but his government did not explain why.
2:00 pm Iranian authorities today temporarily shut down the newspaper of failed presidential contender Mehdi Karroubi, a former speaker of parliament, after it published a letter condemning last month's presidential election and the government's response to allegations of widespread vote-rigging.
1:55pm AFP : Twenty people were killed and more than 1,000 arrested in the protests that swept Tehran after the disputed re-election of President Ahmadinejad last month, the country's police chief Ahmadi Moghaddam said Wednesday.
1:50pm Berri received 2 congratulatory cables today , one from the head of the Arab parliament and one from Patriarch Lahham for his reelection as the speaker
1:45pm four AUB students that were kidnapped by gunmen this morning on the way to Akoura were released
1:33pm Judge Sari is questioning again the detainees in the Bahsas explosion crime
1:26pm President Michel Suleiman told a Chinese Mideast peace envoy that peace cannot be reached without the Arab peace initiative, that guarantees the return of Palestinians, the implementation of resolution 1701 and Israel’s withdrawal from Shebaa, Kfarshouba
12:52pm The Council of Maronite Bishops called for facilitating the formation of a government that would run the country firmly and wisely.
12:30pm NY Times : President Obama, whose campaign for the White House included a pledge to open talks with Iran, said Friday that the prospects for such a dialogue had been dampened by the brutal crackdown in the wake of the nation's disputed elections
12:20 pm AFP - Teenager Bahia Bakari recovered in hospital Wednesday a day after miraculously surviving the Yemeni jet crash off the Comoros feared to have killed 152 other people.
12:15pm Fire is still raging in a number of areas
11:45 Patriarch Sfeir is still presiding over the monthly meeting in Bkirki of the Council of Maronite Bishops
11:35 "LBC": The civil defense units were able to extinguish the fire which broke out at dawn in Hasarat Jubail with the help of Lebanese army helicopters
11:32 MP Hekmet Deeb told LBC: The opposition demands the one-third guarantee of cabinet seats because the last government was among the most successful. The Change and Reform bloc will not withdraw its demand for proportional representation.
11:30 The Iranian Construction Authority built a 700 meter sidewalk on the Lebanese side of the Fatima Gate following a U.N. sponsored agreement between the Lebanese and Israeli sides.
11:29 Ya'qoub told "Free Lebanon radio ": 15-10-5 formula gives the President the role of referee but the opposition should have veto power if the cabinet will be a truly national unity government.
11:28 Security forces foiled a robbery attempt of two cars on Mairoba- Qahmaz road in the Bekaa area
11:16 Salim Aoun "ANB:" We are preparing for an appeal in which we are rejecting the results of the Zahleh election. The best cabinet formation formula should be along the same line as the outgoing government
11:15 mayor of Deir Al Qamar told Voice of Lebanon: The fire did not affect the trees, but only the plants, and I appeal to the people of the Shouf not to burn any dry weeds at this stage
11:12 Body of Iran for the reconstruction of the south pier had to establish on the Lebanese side of the Fatima Gate, the central movement of an Israeli
11;10 FPM's MP Ghassan Moukheiber told Free Lebanon radio station: The cabinet must be quickly formed, since we will face a difficult period on the security, political and economic levels. Aoun's FPM according to observers is the no. 1 obstacle because he is asking for far too many portfolios in the cabinet .
11:09 A "Future " source ": the Saudi effort is aimed at providing specific guarantees to Hezbollah over its weapons
11:05 De Friege told "Free Lebanon radio ": The opposition should take part in the government, but with a smaller number of ministers and the majority must have a minimum of 16 ministers in a government of 30 ministries
11:00 Hariri source : the Christian representation in the next government is the biggest obstacle
10:55 minister Marouni told ANB ": the Phalange party has put forward my names to remain as the Minister of Tourism, but this will be subject to the political balance
10:55 A defective Israeli cluster bomb left over from the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah , exploded and wounded a member of the demining team Mine Action Group (MAG), Abbas Ali Shehade, in Yohmor.
10:50 The health ministry announced that four people coming from Australia were diagnosed with the swine flu, raising the total number of cases in Lebanon to 47.
09:18 Ain Tinah sources: Berri stressed during his meeting yesterday with Kahwaji the importance of conducting a serious and transparent investigation into the Aisha Bakkar incident and the lifting of political cover for all suspects
09:08 Jumblatt sources: the relation with Hariri is good and the issue of privatization is not a matter of dispute
09:00 Ain Tinah sources: If things continue as they the new government will see the light within maximum 2 weeks
08:53 Ban-ki Moon : Hezbollah continues to maintain a military capacity which represents a serious challenge to the State's ability to exercise full sovereignty over all Lebanese territory
8:48 MP Ziad al-Qadiri told VOL: Veto power is rejected. There is no excuse for obstruction or procrastination. Public opinion will hold accountable those who obstruct.
08:48 The civil defense is still trying to extinguish the fires in Der al Qamar in Shouf region and Hasarat in Jebail , after extinguishing fres in Aley , Metn , south and the north of Lebanon
8:45am MP Ammar Houry told Radio Asharq: MP Qobeisi assured us on behalf of Speaker Berri that the Opposition approves the idea of demilitarizing Beirut.
8:45 Central Bank governor Riad Salameh: The market is satisfied with the results of parliamentary elections and with the nomination of Hariri as the next prime minister
08:39 U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told Al Qabas : Hezbollah's weapons are a threat to Lebanon and the region, although it has a popular base and is represented in the parliament
08:35 Jumblatt met Hariri last night at Quraithem in the presence of Aridi
08:10 prices of gasoline was slightly increased to reflect the increase in futures market
7:45 The Council of Maronite Bishops will hold Wednesday morning its weekly meeting that will be presided by Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
7:32 Three gunmen in a Nissan four-wheeler stopped Ali Salim Makki while he was driving on the seaside Tabarja road, forced him out of his BMW X5 and sped away with the man’s vehicle.
7:30 MP Salim Salhab told VOL: The Change and Reform bloc asked for 7 ministers if a 30-member cabinet would be formed. But doors will remain open for all possibilities on condition of forming a government that guarantees partnership.
07:29 VOL: Civil defense reported a fire in Deir al-Qmar and Hasarat in Jbeil
06:57 security specialists have uncovered reports of high proportion of armaments in the Beirut neighborhoods which have raised fear that the street is heading for the worst
06:13 Baroud told "Al-Nahar:" The enormous number of fires is now the subject of an investigation specially since the season of fires has not arrived yet and which makes us really wonder !
06:07 Lebanon attended the discussion between the Assad and Gueant in Damascus. The talks to focused on Lebanon and the region
06:06 Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner will travel "very soon" to Lebanon
05:57 Arab diplomatic sources: Saudi Arabia is throwing all its weight behind improvement of the Lebanese -Syrian relations and specially between Assad and Hariri
05:49 sources: the government will be born following a tripartite summit that includes Saudi Arabia , Syria and Lebanon and which will be held in Damascus on July 16
05:39 political sources: President Suleiman is exerting intensive efforts behind the scenes to improve the inter Arab relations to reflect positively on the Lebanese climate of internal stability.
05:32 Motorcycle processions have been circulating for two days in various parts of Beirut and near certain houses and institutions within the framework of "provocation and friction", security sources reported
Tuesday
11:40 pm President Barack Obama on Tuesday lauded the pullout of US forces from towns and cities in Iraq as an important step toward a full US troop withdrawal by 2012, but warned of "difficult days" ahead.
11:33 pm Seven people, at least five of them high-school students, were shot Tuesday at a bus stop in Detroit, Michigan, officials said
11;30 pm US Comedian Al Franken officially won the Minnesota US Senate seat Tuesday, as the state's Supreme Court ordered that he be certified as the winner of last year's election and incumbent Republican Norm Coleman conceded.
8:22pm Saudi Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja left Beirut for Jedda.
8:19pmGeneral Petraeus left Beirut for Ankara aboard a military plane, after visiting with army chief general Kahwaji
08:17pm FPM's Alan Aoun told OTV : we are dealing positively with regards to a balanced government in which there is no majority and minority
O8:15pm Abi Ramya told New TV: we have requested 7 ministerial posts from Hariri and he asked is to continue to preserve the positive atmosphere and we expect to reach a settlement after some give and take from both sides
08:14pm MP Fatfat told New TV: I expect the formation of the cabinet will take longer than what is being predicted . Despite that fact that Hariri is facing many difficulties , he won't give up, because he is solid and determined to succeed
08:05pm Mitri told MTV: the continued attacks against Gad el Maleh sounds like censorship on cultural issues and this is damaging to the cultural life in Lebanon and will not gain us any friends in our struggle against Israel
08:03pm Future TV: A summit is taking place in Sharm el Sheikh between president Mubarak and Saudi king Abdullah . Other leaders may be asked to join later to complete the pan Arab reconciliation effort
07:50 pm A deadly car bomb in northern Iraq shattered the mood of celebration this afternoon just hours after makeshift bands, dancing teenagers and crowds waving Iraqi flags had marked the withdrawal of American troops from the nation's cities.
07:30pm Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri meets with Defense Minister Elias Murr to discuss security, current politics
07:20pm Speaker Berri is meeting army chief general Kahwaji
07:11pm A huge fire erupted in Jezzine that destroyed about 60 acres of fruit trees
6:05pm Hariri after talks with Suleiman: I briefed the president on the position of each parliamentary bloc regarding the new government. They were positive. We will continue in this positive climate to reach a formula capable of facing the challenges.
5:30pm Petraeus said he congratulated Defense Minister Michel Murr on the outcome of the June 7 polls and on the peaceful climate that accompanied these elections.
5:00pm Hariri arrived at Baabda Palace to brief Suleiman on outcome of parliamentary consultations.
