, but General Michel Aoun who has been accused by the March 14 alliance as being the single most obstructive element in the process of government formation has turned down president Suleiman’s invitation and therefore will not be attending the Iftar .
Aoun has been accused by the majority of making unreasonable demands for specific portfolios that are considered a red line for Hezbollah- led opposition such as the ministry of interior . The majority does not trust Hezbollah with this ministry after what this militant group did in May 2008 when it it turned its guns against the Lebanese people and occupied the Sunni part of west Beirut and tried but unsuccessfully to occupy Mount Lebanon.
The Ministry of interior is responsible for the security inside the country . This ministry is currently included in the share of the president , who intends to keep it . The president is independent , meaning he is neither with March 8 nor March 14 . The ministry is currently headed by Ziad Baroud who has shown tremendous credibility during his entire term and who has been praised by all parties for the way he managed the elections last June .
Aoun’s demands have raised many questions in Lebanon, yesterday MP Michel Murr who used to be allied with Aoun before the June elections said “Never in the history of Lebanon could a parliamentary bloc dictate “ I want this ministry and I want this man to be in charge of it “.
MP and former Minister Marwan Hamada summed it up this way during an interview with Al Anbaa newspaper : "Nothing new regarding the governmental formation issue and we don’t expect a government anytime soon”
Friday
10:03pm PM-designate Saad Hariri calls President Suleiman, Speaker Berri to inform them of his initiative toward FPM leader Michel Aoun
10:00 pm Hariri : since Aoun does not want to visit me , I am ready to meet with him at the presidential palace with president Suleiman or at the parliament
7:41pm Al-Arabiya: IAEA demands clarifications from Iran on military dimensions of its nuclear program
5:35pm Solana to visit Middle East next week
04:04pm Bassil informs Suleiman that Aoun will not attend the presidential Iftar for logistical reasons
11:15 Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for punishing opposition leaders over unrest unleashed by his disputed re-election
11:00 The mayor of Beirut Abdel Mounim al Arees denied ever sending an invitation to Haifa mayor to attend a conference on water in Leon , France . Earlier an Israeli station claimed that Arees sent an invitation and the major of Haifa accepted it
10:20 Swine flu rises at US colleges as students return. In the bathrooms they have signs that read: "Wash your hands. Swine is not fine."
10:00 A suicide bomber slightly injured a Saudi Arabian Prince Muhammad bin Nayef who is in charge of antiterrorism, the first significant retaliation by extremists against the kingdom's recent crackdown. The explosion took place last night at his house in Jeddah as he was receiving guests during a traditional Ramadan gathering
9;20 The reformist son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has called for closer business ties with Britain, saying it is time to move on from the argument about the decision to free the Lockerbie bomber.
09:16 Hariri met MP Hussein Khalil last evening in Quraytem to review the latest developments regarding the formation of the government
09:03 Minister Marouni: Aoun’s declining of Suleiman’s invitation to Iftar is a “new setback”
08:42 An earthquake measuring 6.2 degrees on the Rector scale erupted in China and no information about any casualties up till this moment
08:40 Council of Ministers of the GCC will meet Tuesday in Jeddah to discuss the situation in Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, Sudan, Somalia and security issues
08:34 Marouni told "Voice of Lebanon": The obstruction is external and Aoun is the internal cover and this continued bleeding will undermine the confidence in the State that we were hoping to rebuild and strengthen
08:32 Hamada told Al Anbaa : nothing new regarding the governmental formation issue and we don’t expect a government anytime soon
08:26 Sources in the majority: Hariri informed Gemayel and Geagea that the contentious issues that had prevented the meeting of the leaders of the majority have been resolved
07:20 sources of "Change and Reform": Hariri's visit to Aoun is not a concession, but it is his duty as PM designate
07:15 Basil: We are sticking by our demands and the ball is now in the court of the PM designate
06:48 Hariri sources: a visit by PM designate to Aoun is not on the agenda for now
06:34 Suleiman: all the parties should cooperate over the formation of the cabinet which is already overdue . Sources close to Baabda say the president is extremely disappointed with concerned parties over the delays
06:09 The leaders of the majority are questioning whether there is a regional plan to wipe out the results of the last election
05:43 The Youth and Student Affairs official of the Free Patriotic Movement has stepped down
05:32 Palmer appeal file containing the testimonies of the most powerful of the certificate of the father Akkari
05:28 Sarkozy asked the French ambassador in Beirut to go back to France , one year before his term ends . No explanations given
05:14 Aoun will not attend the Iftar dinner at Baabda palace on Sept 1 . The president was hoping to use the occasion to reconcile the various parties in order to speed up the formation of the government
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Thursday
8:35pm the residents of Bouiza - Nabatiyah are protesting against the installation of cellular booster stations near their homes
8:27pm Hajjar told OTV :" What we want from General Aoun is a calm speech that is based on an objective reality to explain that he has the right to claim what he wants based on the Constitution
8:26pm MP Edmond Rizk told "MTV": The request to amend the Taif disguises the real objectives . The President has not been able to exercise his authority during the past years
8 :25pm MP Kanaan told "MTV": The President of the Republic has suggested that the constitution should be reviewed and any amendment to the Taef accord will not affects the sectarian distribution. We are not willing to wait for 30 more years .
8:23pm Qamati told OTV :" the International Tribunal is politicized as was proven by the the international pressure on Syria and then the pressure was lifted and the question is where this will lead us and when will the politicization end ?
05:30 pm PM-designate Saad Hariri left Baabda palace after one hour meeting with president Suleiman, without making any statement
06:46 pm : The UN security council extended the term of UNIFIL for another year under UNSCR 1884 without modifying its rules of engagement
04:11pm President Michel Suleiman is meeting with PM-designate Saad Hariri
3:22pm Caretaker Tourism minister Marouni: Aoun is the cover for all the obstacles and this includes Syria and Iran. How can the government can be a national unity government if it begins with conditions and provocations ?
3:02pm Bassil told "Future News": Communications are stalled for now awaiting an initiative from the PM designate . Note : Hariri had invited Aoun for lunch 2 weeks ago to discuss his portfolio needs but Aoun up till this moment has refused to meet with Hariri.
2:47pm MP Michel Murr: Never in the history of Lebanon could a parliamentary bloc dictate “ I want this ministry and I want this man to be in charge of it “. ( in reference to gen Aoun) . The government must be formed before President Suleiman visits Washington, he added
