President of the Republic General Emile Lahoud

President of the Republic General Emile Lahoud has begun mandatory consultations at Baabda Palace at ten this morning to nominate a new prime minister, who in turn would form a new cabinet.

For this purpose president Lahoud held a ten minute separate consultations with Speaker Berri, then outgoing Prime Minister Omar Karami, former Speaker Hussein Husseini who refused to make any nominations, Deputy PM Michel Murr, who nominated Omar Karami, and deputy Speaker Issam Faress who said afterwards, “It seems the wind is still be blowing northwards.”

The first bloc to hold consultations with president Lahoud is the Bloc for Development and Liberation headed by Speaker Berri. The bloc nominated Karami to lead the new cabinet. Absent from the bloc is MP Bahia Hariri.

Speaking afterwards Speaker Berri said the bloc named Karami to form the new cabinet, “which we want it to be a government of national unity, and of national salvation”. The objective of the new cabinet should aim at speeding up investigations into the assassination of former PM Hariri, and bring those responsible to justice. The government should also be able to hold upcoming parliamentary elections added Speaker Berri.

Speaker Berri noted that Deputy Hariri was still a member of the Bloc, “however, she is still in mourning.”

Speaker Berri added, the national government would comprise of both loyalists and opposition.

On whether the opposition rejected to take part in the new government, Berri said, “it is up to them.”

President Lahoud then held consultations with the Metn Reconciliation Bloc headed by Deputy PM Michel Murr and comprising of MPs Emile Lahoud, Sebouh Hofnanian, and Antoine Haddad. The bloc also favored Karami.

The Third Bloc to meet with president Lahoud is the Bloc in Support of the Resistance headed by MP Raad and comprising of 12-deputies. The bloc also named Karami.

The Popular Bloc comprising of MPs Elias Skaff and Nicholas Fattoush also nominated Karami.

Speaking afterwards, the Bloc said talks with president Lahoud also focused on the need to speed up investigations into the assassination of former PM Rafic Hariri. The bloc said it favored a government capable of easing present tension in the country. The bloc warned against an economic crisis in the country, “If things remained as they presently are. We also favor the holding of parliamentary elections on time, to allow the Lebanese people to make their choices freely.”

The Western Bekaa Bloc comprising of MPs Faisal Daoud and Sami Khateeb also favored Omar Karami to lead the new cabinet.

The North Lebanon Parliamentary Bloc headed by MP Sleiman Franjieh also favored Omar karami.

The Tripoli Parliamentary Bloc comprising of deputies Mohammad Kabbarah, Morris Fadel, and Mohammed Safad

i was absent from the mandatory consultations.

The Bath Party Bloc comprising of Assem Kanso, Abdel Rahman Abdel Rahman and Kassem Hashem nominated Omar Karami.

The Syrian National Social Party Parliamentary Bloc consisting of deputies Ghassan Ashkar, Salim Saadeh and Marwan Faress also nominated Karami.

The Armenian Deputies Bloc comprising of George kassarji also favored Karami. The meeting was also attended by MP Hofnanian.

The Kataeb party Bloc comprising of Nader Succar supported the nomination of Karami.

The second round of mandatory consultations begins at four o’clock at Baabda Palace.

The opposition has already said it would not take part in consultations and it would dispatch two deputies to hand his Excellency a memo on its demands.

On another level, president Lahoud has received a cable from his Syrian counterpart Bashaar Assad, and in which he thanked president Lahoud for sensing him a cable of congratulations on the anniversary of the March 8th Revolution.

In his cable, the Syrian leader reiterated his country’s commitment to consolidate bilateral ties with Lebanon at all levels. President Assad asserted that Syria would confront and defy all pressures exerted against SOURCE: Welcome to the Presidential Palace