Hariri Faces Int'l Push for Accelerating Gov't Formation in Lebanon

Date: 08 August 2018 - 21:46

News ID: ۵۶۰۶۷

BEIRUT (Xinhua) – Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri says there is a push by the international community to accelerate the formation of a government in Lebanon.
"There is an international push to form a government in Lebanon and to start with the reform plans adopted by CEDRE," he was quoted by online newspaper Elnashra as saying.
Hariri was referring to the international conference for supporting Lebanon's development and reforms held in April in Paris, France, which pledges over 11 billion U.S. dollars in aid for Lebanon.
"I am being blamed for the delay in government formation while every political party is insisting on its cabinet's share. They should sacrifice for the interest of this country," he said.
Hariri is facing various hurdles in his attempt to form a 30-member national unity government comprising all the country's political parties, due to differences of opinion between rival politicians over the representation of the main Christian parties, as well as the Druze sect.
Hariri said that he is in contact with all political parties with regard to government formation.
"I have a notebook with all the demands of political parties and I want to form a government of national unity," he said.
Lebanon held the first general election in nine years on May 6, after being postponed for three times in 2013, 2014 and 2017. Despite the big loss of its seats in the parliament by his party, the Future Movement, Hariri is backed by most of the new parliament members to continue to serve as the prime minister.