Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss, defeated in parliamentary elections, said Tuesday the outgoing legislature should bow out sooner than scheduled to let its successor get on with the job.
"The current parliament's mandate must be cut short so the elected MPs can quickly assume their responsibilities and a new government can be formed speedily to avoid inertia and paralysis, which are harmful for the country," he was quoted in the An-Nahar newspaper as saying.
The current parliament's term ends October 17. Lebanon's constitution stipulates that the cabinet resign immediately after a new parliament is put in place.
Press comment Tuesday blamed Hoss's performance in government for his defeat in Sunday's elections in Beirut, which produced a triumph for his predecessor, billionaire Rafic Hariri.
Newspapers close to Hariri, including Ash-Sharq and Al-Lima, dismissed allegations by Hoss and the pro-government press that voters were swayed by money.
"The Beirut election results express the total rejection of the Hoss government's policies," Ash-Sharq said
The independent newspaper Al-Anwar also said "the voters were guided by the disappointment created by the government's practices over the past two years."
An-Nahar editorial writer Gebran Tueini, who is close to the current government, also said Hoss's loss stemmed from opposition to government policies but added that cash played a key role in the power-struggle between the two Sunni Muslim rivals.
The prime ministership is traditionally reserved for a Sunni, the presidency for a Christian Maronite, and the position of parliamentary speaker for a Shiite Muslim - BEIRUT (AFP)
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