during the first round of Saad Hariri’s task as Prime minister designate .
Hariri resigned the post of prime minister designate earlier this month blaming his failure on the impossible conditions of Hezbollah and its ally General Michel Aoun .
Saudi Arabia and the rest of the friends of the Lebanese state have reportedly been trying to end the Syrian obstruction of cabinet formation , but so far no deal has been reached
According to the local media , the “attack by Syrian newspapers of the Lebanese system means the absence of any agreement between Damascus and any outside party”.
Last week Syrian president Bashar al Assad surprised the region when he unexpectedly showed up at the opening ceremony of a new University in Saudi Arabia. Everyone in Lebanon expected that his visit will result in a deal over the cabinet formation, but so far it does not look promising .
The MP designate will be completing today his first round of consultations with parliamentary blocs over the government formation and so far no breakthrough has been reported . In the absence of any good news Hariri will kick off the second round of consultations tomorrow and as usual he will start with Speaker Nabih Berri’s bloc.
The only thing that has been agreed to and even this may be questionable is the government formula of 15-10-5 . This stipulated that 15 seats would be allocated to the majority, 10 to the minority and five to the president as a neutral party.
Back to the SS issue . Local newspapers reported this morning that Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Bin Abd el Aziz will be visiting Damascus next Tuesday and Said information minister Abdel aziz Khoja will visit Lebanon today to report on the meeting last week between the Saudi monarch and Assad
Back to Syria’s obstruction . All the friendly counties that are trying to strike a deal with Syria in order to end its interference in the internal Lebanese affairs have promised that no deal will be struck at Lebanon’s expense . Yesterday U.S. VP Joe Biden called president Suleiman and reiterated to him the U.S. support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence and assured him that no deal will be struck with Syria at the expense of Lebanon
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon confirmed Syria’s destabilizing role in Lebanon when he said at the end of his visit "It is illusionary to think that all regional problems, including Lebanon, can be solved without dialogue with the Syrians or with countries that have influence over the situation,"
Syria occupied Lebanon for nearly three decades but was forced to withdraw its army in April 2005 following the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri . Hariri was assassinated on February 14 2005 and Syria was accused of being behind his murder . Syria denied any involvement
Even though Syrian army is no longer in Lebanon, Syria continues to influence the political situation through its allies such as Hezbollah , Amal and their allies
Tuesday
8:40 LBC: The visit of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz to Damascus is scheduled for October 6
5:15pm Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir upon his return from Rome: PM-designate Saad Hariri’s success means success for the country.
5:00pm Hariri is meeting with MP Ahmad Karami from the Solidarity bloc in the absence of MP Mohamad Safadi who is abroad.
5:00pm Reuters:The United States called on its close ally Israel on Tuesday to conduct credible investigations into allegations of war crimes committed by its forces in Gaza, saying it would help the Middle East peace process.
3:30 pm BBC:At least 128 people were killed when Guinean troops opened fire on opposition protesters on Monday, rights groups and opposition figures claim
3;20 pm CNN: After lashing the Philippines for several days, killer Typhoon Ketsana gained power over the ocean before slamming into the central Vietnam coastline Tuesday afternoon.
3:00pm Iran said it would set a date soon for international inspection of a newly declared nuclear installation, but warned on Tuesday it may curb cooperation if Western powers repeated "past mistakes"
2:30pm Suleiman discussed with army chief Kahwaji the security situation in the country سليمان
1:28 pm Fadel presented Hariri with full package to improve state institutions
1:15pm Hariri will continue parliamentary consultations at 5:00pm.
1:10pm MP Nayla Tueni met with Hariri and left parliament without making a statement.
1:05pm President Michel Suleiman is meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri at Baabda palace.
1:04pm Aoun: We are cooperating until the formation of a strong and harmonious cabinet.We are a victorious and not a defeated party.
12:47pm Hariri is meeting with MP Robert Fadel.
12:45pm Culture Minister Tammam Salam met his French counterpart in Quebec Christine Saint-Pierre who expressed her admiration of the opening of the Francophone games.
12:30pm A meeting is underway in Rabiyeh between MPs Michel Aoun, Suleiman Franjieh, Talal Arslan, Minister Elias Skaff and Tashnag Secretary-General Hovig Mekhitarian to prepare for Thursday’s meeting with Hariri.
12:20pm MP Assaad Hardan following talks with Hariri: The PM-designate feels that the country is in a crisis. This requires formation of a national salvation cabinet.
12:20 pm Some Guinean soldiers lost control at an opposition protest in the capital, Guinea's military leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara has admitted.
12;10 Reuters: Top diplomats from the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany will meet Iran's nuclear negotiator on Thursday in Geneva, the first talks on Tehran's disputed atomic program in over a year.
12;00pm The government owned official Syrian Tishrin newspaper said Lebanon is facing a "regime crisis, not a governance crisis."
11:30 Lebanese Charge' d' Affaires in Guinea Hadi Jaber announced on Monday that the Lebanese community in that country is safe after security forces shot and killed at least 87 people who were protesting against junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in December.
11:20 Philippines has appealed for international help to deal with the aftermath of the devastating floods that have killed 240 so far
11:15 A meeting between PM-designate Saad Hariri and MPs in the Syrian Social Nationalist Party bloc kicked off consultations at the parliament building
10:15 Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir is scheduled to arrive in Lebanon Tuesday afternoon
09:55 presidential sources: The president was assured by the Arab and foreign leaders that he meet in New York of their support to Lebanon’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN security council
07:38 The issue of Lebanese exiles from the United Arab Emirates has begun to escalate specially since most of them are Muslim Shites . UAE also exiled some who are from Gaza
7:30 MP Hikmat Deeb told VOL: I wonder why the rotation of ministerial portfolios bypassed the finance ministry?
07:26 Hikmat Shihabi who was very close to former president Hafez Assad returned to Damascus
07:20 al Akhbar : Saudi king's visit to Syria is not linked to the Lebanese file
06:33 Military sources: “The Americans have nothing to do whatsoever with Hamat Airport “. Earlier pro-Syrian newspaper As Safir claimed that this airport is a US base
06:21 Berri told Fillon: Lebanon is unique, both in its political composition and in its government formation
06:12 The Second round of parliamentary consultations will start tomorrow with Speaker Berri’s bloc
05:51 Saudi King Abdullah to visit Syria next Tuesday
05:32 The attack by Syrian newspapers of the Lebanese system means the absence of any agreement between Damascus and any outside party
Monday
9:54 pm An Iranian diplomatic source told Now Lebanon on Monday that Hezbollah will be part of any Iranian response to an attack launched against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities. The source said this is “natural since Hezbollah is fundamentally tied to the Iranian regime.”
9:30 MP Mohammad al-Safadi said that all “issues related to the cabinet are being discussed seriously and openly.” He added that “once everything is discussed frankly then the cabinet formation issue will be easily resolved.”
9:20 pm MP Jean Ogassapian : “Lebanon is a country of coexistence and partnership, and the Lebanese are capable of forming a cabinet that reflects their aspirations and aims.”
8:29pm MP Boutros Harb: Lebanon cannot go on as it is lacking both the legislative and executive powers. I, therefore, call to facilitate PM-designate Hariri's task.
8:23pm President Michel Suleiman received a call from U.S. vice president Joe Biden in which they discussed relations between the two countries. Biden assured Suleiman his country's support to Lebanon.
8:15pm PM-designate Hariri continues consultations with MP Boutros Harb since 8:00pm.
8:02pm Minister Tamam Salam after meeting with premier-designate: The government shall not be formed unless all political forces work together and collaborate with Hariri.
7:35pm Jamaa Islamiya MP Imad al-Hout: Second round consultations will rotate around proposing names and the respective portfolios for the Lebanese president to consent.
7:00pm MP Pakradonian: We agreed with PM-designate on a national unity Cabinet representing all vital political forces and had common ideas regarding strengthening the military and security forces.
6:58pm MP Hagop Pakradonian: The Consultations were important and entirely different than the previous ones.
6:30pm Phalange Party urges the opposition to open a new page and translate rhetoric into action
6:00pm PM-designate Saad Hariri resumes parliamentary consultations in Nejmeh Square, meets Armenian bloc MPs
17:12 Nadim Gemayel : The revolution that started with Bashir during his resistance against settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon continues through Kataeb, Lebanese Forces , Liberals, Al Mustaqbal and PSP
5:00pm President of the Swiss Senate Alain Baffet has arrived in Beirut.
3:41pm Fillon said at the end of his Lebanon visit:: Our dialogue with Damascus is honest and uncompromising. France remains keen about Lebanon’s security and France also supports the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
