A new Cabinet lineup proposed by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has opened the door for political developments – after the Opposition openly rejected the move, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel also slammed the deal.
Gemayel said the Cabinet list leaked to the media “was not the one we had agreed upon both in terms of names and portfolios.”

Gemayel, however, said he would contact both President Michel Suleiman and Hariri to convey his rejection.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has slammed Hariri for proposing a Cabinet lineup that he says will only complicate the situation in Lebanon.

Hariri on Monday presented a 30-seat coalition Cabinet for the president’s approval, more than three months after the majority March 14 alliance won a general election, but the Opposition openly rejected the move.

PM-designate Saad Hariri’s cabinet line-up gave five ministries – four portfolios plus one state ministry – to the Free Patriotic Movement and four seats to women, media reports said Tuesday.
Here is a list of names with sectarian divisions:

Sunnis: Raya Haffar al-Hassan for the finance ministry, Mohammed Safadi, Tammam Salam, Assaad Harmoush (Jamaa Islamiyah), Ghaleb Mahmasani from the president’s share, in addition to Hariri.

Maronites: Ziad Baroud, Joe Sarkis (the LF), Sami Gemayel (Phalange), Farid Elias al-Khazen and Alain Aoun (FPM) and Vera Yammine (Marada).

Shiites: Mohammed Jawad Khalifeh, Yassine Jaber or Jihad Murtada and a third for Amal movement, Mohammed Fneish and Hussein al-Hajj Hassan (Hizbullah) and Adnan al-Sayyed Hussein from the president’s share.

Druze: Ghazi Aridi for the telecommunications or public works (if it wasn’t given to an FPM representative), Wael Abou Faour for the displaced and Akram Sheyyab as state minister.

Catholics: Michel Pharaon from the majority, Edgard Maalouf (FPM) and Judge Micheline Breidy from the president’s share.

Orthodox: Elias Murr, Imad Wakim, Tareq Mitri and Atef Majdalani.

Armenians: Jean Oghassabian and Hagop Pakradounian (who might get the labor ministry).

An Nahar said that the FPM got the following cabinet seats:
The public works ministry for Alain Aoun
The education ministry for Farid Elias al-Khazen
The culture ministry for Edgard Maalouf
The labor ministry for Hagop Pakradounian
State minister for Vera Yammine

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met with Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil on Wednesday to discuss obstacles facing a Cabinet lineup.
Bassil was assigned by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to talk with Hariri during his travel abroad.

Hariri and Aoun met at Baabda Palace on Monday in the first direct meeting between the two sides and both men pledged to continue talks despite the “many difficulties.”

Bassil left Qoreitem on Wednesday without making any statement.

The daily As-Safir had said the talks will focus on two proposals for a new government – key ministers and a Cabinet of political leaders.

Hariri’s office on Tuesday, however, denied reports published by As-Safir and Al-Akhbar that the premier-designate had made new offers to Aoun.

The parliamentary majority and the Opposition had agreed on a 15-10-5 Cabinet makeup which grants the majority 15 ministers, the Opposition 10 and President Michel Suleiman 5, guaranteeing the president the tipping vote.

As-Safir said Wednesday Hariri is expected to share his views with Bassil regarding the new proposals for a Cabinet lineup.

Al-Liwaa newspaper, for its part, said Bassil’s visit to Qoreitem is to follow up on ideas for a Cabinet makeup discussed by Hariri and Aoun is Baabda.

General Jamil al-Sayyed accused Saad Hariri Sunday of agreeing to four years of falsification in the international tribunal, in one of his strongest-worded attacks yet against the premier-designate and his political and security team.

He was speaking at a press conference on the fourth anniversary of his arrest in connection with the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri.

“Saad Hariri lost right in the international tribunal when he agreed to falsification and the country’s ruin during a period of four years,” Sayyed said.

He said former premier Rafik Hariri was murdered three times. “The first was on February 14 (2005). The assassins remain at large thanks to some officers and politicians surrounding (Saad) Hariri,” he said.

“The second time Rafik Hariri was killed was when the four generals were arrested after false witnesses were told what to say by politicians, officers and journalists,” he added.

“The third time that Hariri was killed was when the four generals were released,” he added.

Sayyed was among four top generals who were released in April after four years in custody in connection with Hariri’s assassination, no one has ever been formally charged.

The other three are the former head of the presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan, 53, domestic security chief Ali Hajj, 52, and military intelligence chief Raymond Azar, 56.

Sayyed said the “criminal state keeps among its ranks people like (public prosecutor) Saeed Mirza.” He called on Hariri to hold accountable those who committed forgery such as “Wissam al-Hassan, Saeed Mirza and Samir Shahadeh.”

Addressing Hariri, Sayyed said: “You are your father’s killer until you hold them accountable.”

“If you are brave enough you will place a picture of Mohammed Zuhair al-Siddiq next to your father’s when welcoming your guests,” he said in reference to the main suspect in the investigation into Hariri’s assassination.

Addressing President Michel Suleiman, Sayyed said: “It is a shame that you have been made prisoner. And yes to the amendment of Taef.”

He asked MP Walid Jumblat “where was your political voice in the international tribunal’s file.” He said those who take Jumblat as an ally were committing a mistake.

Sayyed also thanked Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir for promoting the cause of the four generals when they were still in custody.

He then criticized Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani and asked for an apology to his daughter Sara al-Sayyed for the accusations against her father.

Premier-designate Saad Hariri has invited MP Michel Aoun to lunch in Qoreitem to discuss the formation of the government and the latter’s demands, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Sunday.
“Hariri dispatched his advisor Nader Hariri to Aoun and invited him to meet with the premier-designate over lunch,” the paper said quoting sources. They added that Aoun asked for “time before giving an answer to the invitation.

Aoun has scheduled a press conference for Monday to respond to “a campaign being waged against him by March 14 forces over his insistence to nominate (Telecoms Minister Jebran) Bassil to the cabinet and demands for one sovereign portfolio and five other minor ones,” the paper reported.