Beirut: Lebanon's opposition has agreed to a proposed government line-up, Hezbollah said today, paving the way to the end of five months of tortuous negotiations
following a June general election.
Hezbollah, which heads an alliance of parties supported
by Syria and Iran, said in a statement that its leadership,
including the head of the militant party Hassan Nasrallah, met
late yesterday and agreed to join the national unity
government proposed by prime minister-designate Saad Hariri.
"Those who took part in the meeting agreed to join a
national unity government based on the agreements reached
during negotiations," the statement said.
"We hope that this step will be beneficial for Lebanon
and its people," it added.
An official from Hariri's camp said they were awaiting
official notification before announcing the new government,
possibly today.
An official with the Presidency told that the head of
state was also optimistic that the stalemate was over and an
announcement was imminent.
The proposed 30-member cabinet calls for 15 seats for the
majority alliance and 10 for the opposition. The remaining
five posts would be appointed by President Michel Sleiman.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, November 07, 2009, 13:49