Caretaker Telecoms Minister Jebran Bassil said a meeting on Wednesday between President Michel Suleiman and an Opposition delegation was “positive” and there was “mutual understanding” between the two sides.
“At the end, the problem is not with the President, but with Saad Hariri,” Bassil said in an interview published Thursday with pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.
“We hope that the concessions we offered would be met by similar concessions,” Bassil said.

He said he also hoped that Hariri does not intend to “further derail or delay Cabinet formation and then quits for reasons beyond our understanding.”

Asked what the next move would be following his meeting with Suleiman, Bassil said that there “are things that could happen to reach a settlement that is if we received positive signs in return.”

He said if Hariri, however, continued to hold on to the proposed Cabinet lineup “then we would not reach any solution.”

Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil accused the Parliamentary majority on Saturday of refusing to give the Free Patriotic Movement its rights and rejecting to form a national unity Cabinet.
He also accused Outgoing PM Fouad Saniora of “politically obstructing his work (as a minister)” and “weaving conspiracies” against him through meetings with the Telecommunication Ministry’s administrative employees.

In an interview with al-Mada radio, Bassil asked: “Does partnership mean to take out the share of your partner?

Furthermore, Bassil wondered whether partnership means giving al-Mustaqbal movement most of the Sunni shares and refusing to give cabinet seats to those who fully represent Christians.

The caretaker minister also demanded fair representation for both the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange party.

Regarding the Barouk station issue, Bassil reiterated that he has presented the appropriate information to the judiciary, however, he will wait “for the results of the investigation.