Al-Manar
"28/05/2008 Lebanon's new President Michel Suleiman holds consultations Wednesday with Lebanese MPs and parliamentary blocs on the head of the new government. Apparently, the ruling bloc has decided on nominating the head of the caretaker government Fouad Saniora for that post, while the opposition does not consider Saniora as a consensus candidate. The opposition, mainly the loyalty to the resistance, the development and liberation, the change and reform and other blocs and opposition MPs have all refrained from naming a candidate for the premiership.
US, SAUDI PRESSURE ON MARCH 14 TO NAME SANIORA FOR PREMIERSHIP
"28/05/2008 Lebanon's new President Michel Suleiman holds consultations Wednesday with Lebanese MPs and parliamentary blocs on the head of the new government. Apparently, the ruling bloc has decided on nominating the head of the caretaker government Fouad Saniora for that post, while the opposition does not consider Saniora as a consensus candidate. The opposition, mainly the loyalty to the resistance, the development and liberation, the change and reform and other blocs and opposition MPs have all refrained from naming a candidate for the premiership.
US, SAUDI PRESSURE ON MARCH 14 TO NAME SANIORA FOR PREMIERSHIP
Unwilling to stop following directions from outside governments, the loyalty bloc in Lebanon, and after "contacts" with Washington, Riyadh and other capitals, renamed the head of the caretaker government Fouad Saniora as its candidate for premiership under newly-elected President Michel Suleiman.
The so-called March 14 ruling bloc said in a statement it decided on Saniora at a late-night meeting on Tuesday and was to inform Suleiman of its choice when he begins binding consultations on Wednesday on forming the government.
The opposition is not likely to name Saniora who will be, if commissioned to form the government, a weak PM in terms of national consensus.
Only Saniora and Future parliamentary bloc leader Saad Hariri, were being considered by the ruling bloc for the premiership, a Sunni post.
Other Sunni figures in the ruling bloc expressed resentment at the decision. According to Al-Akhbar daily, Minister of Public Works and Tansport and March 14 member MP Mohamad Safadi said he would run for the post in case his bloc did not nominate Hariri. He gained initial support from the opposition and other loyalty MPs, however swift "interventions" rendered Safadi reluctant to take the step. "For Safadi, the momentous thing was the position of Saudi Ambassador Abdul Aziz Khojah's during the "March 14" bloc meeting telling participants including Safadi that Riyadh sees good in any of the two (Hariri or Saniora), in a clear signal that the Saudi kingdom rules out Safadi," Al-Akhbar said."
The so-called March 14 ruling bloc said in a statement it decided on Saniora at a late-night meeting on Tuesday and was to inform Suleiman of its choice when he begins binding consultations on Wednesday on forming the government.
The opposition is not likely to name Saniora who will be, if commissioned to form the government, a weak PM in terms of national consensus.
Only Saniora and Future parliamentary bloc leader Saad Hariri, were being considered by the ruling bloc for the premiership, a Sunni post.
Other Sunni figures in the ruling bloc expressed resentment at the decision. According to Al-Akhbar daily, Minister of Public Works and Tansport and March 14 member MP Mohamad Safadi said he would run for the post in case his bloc did not nominate Hariri. He gained initial support from the opposition and other loyalty MPs, however swift "interventions" rendered Safadi reluctant to take the step. "For Safadi, the momentous thing was the position of Saudi Ambassador Abdul Aziz Khojah's during the "March 14" bloc meeting telling participants including Safadi that Riyadh sees good in any of the two (Hariri or Saniora), in a clear signal that the Saudi kingdom rules out Safadi," Al-Akhbar said."
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