BEIRUT: The new Cabinet held its first meeting at Baabda Palace Tuesday as signs emerged that rival factions were ready to compromise over the controversial policy statement.
State Minister Nabil de Freij told the voice of Lebanon before the meeting that “the formulation of the policy statement should not be as difficult as some have been expecting.”
“It will be hard to formulate it [the policy statement] in one session; it might require a few sessions but there is a decision to facilitate the process,” said Freij, who belongs to the Future bloc.
The session, chaired by President Michel Sleiman, started at 11 a.m. and focused on the formation of a committee to draft the government’s policy statement.
The committee is expected to include ministers from the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the March 14 coalition, as well as representatives from the centrist bloc, which refers to ministers loyal to Sleiman, Salam and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt.
The policy statement has been a polarizing issue that could paralyze the government’s work if left unresolved. March 14 has insisted the statement include the Baabda Declaration declaring Lebanon's neutrality towards the Syrian crisis, while Hezbollah wants to uphold the tripartite formula of "the Army, the people, and the resistance" that has been adopted by previous governments.
Political sources told The Daily Star Monday that the ministerial committee is expected to recommend including both the tripartite agreement of previous policy statements and the Baabda declaration, as well as several other decisions issued by the National Dialogue Committee.
Once the policy statement has been drafted, Cabinet can go to Parliament to seek a vote of confidence.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced a 24-member Cabinet of “national interest” Saturday after 10 months of political deadlock, the longest in Lebanon’s history.
Salam met separately Tuesday with European Union Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst and Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin, both of whom expressed support for Salam’s 24-member Cabinet.
“I conveyed to Prime Minister Salam the congratulations of Russia over the new Cabinet formation and confirmed Russia’s ongoing support to Lebanon’s sovereignty and unity,” Zasypkin said.
“We hope that the formation of the national interest government will enhance stability and security in Lebanon, and we support the priorities ... declared by Salam regarding the upcoming presidential election and other issues.”
“We also call for strengthening partnership and developing dialogue between the political forces in Lebanon and we are optimistic about the coming phase,” the Russian envoy said.
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