Lebanese opposition rejects Hariri cabinet proposal

Published September 8th, 2009 - 12:41 GMT

The Lebanene opposition formally informed the president on Tuesday of its rejection of a proposed government list by prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri.  "We do not consider what happened to be appropriate, either with our democratic values or in how to deal with us. We were demanding from (Hariri) to present a draft that is acceptable to our demands in order to negotiate over it," said Gibran Bassil, a Christian opposition politician, after meeting President Michel Suleiman.

 

Bassil was accompanied by representatives from Hizbullah and its Shi'ite ally Amal.

 

Late Monday, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah rejected the proposed cabinet line-up, saying Hariri's move would further complicate the government problem. "I don't think that the method employed today takes Lebanon out of the government formation crisis. On the contrary, it further complicates the problem," Nasrallah said, according to Naharnet. He also described Hariri's move as "inappropriate."