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| 30/06/2008 Amid exchanged accusations between rival political parties on the identity of the obstructer of the cabinet formation, the situation seems to be more perplexed in Lebanon with the beginning of another week without a national-unity government.
Indeed, rays of sunshine that penetrated through the grayness of last week vanished on the weekend when PM designate Fouad Saniora withdrew his proposal to MP General Michel Aoun to take the telecommunications portfolio, thus returning everything to square one and opening the way to all possibilities. Saniora withdrew his proposal shortly after receiving US charge d'Affaires Michelle Sisson Saturday.
Meanwhile, talks have been intensified during the last few hours within the opposition camp, in a clear indication to the urgent need to form the cabinet as soon as possible. The head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Aoun held a meeting with the head of the Marada Movement former minister Suleiman Franjieh as well as representatives from Hezbollah at Aoun's residence in Rabiyeh late Sunday, An-Nahar daily reported. The paper also noted that an opposition delegation was set to meet with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to discuss the cabinet formation during the next few hours.
But Saniora, on the other hand, has reportedly suspended talks and consultations with the Free Patriotic Movement, accusing Aoun of obstructing the cabinet formation through his many requests and conditions. Saniora's accusations were rejected by Aoun's camp, as sources from his Free Patriotic Movement told An-Nahar that the party would accept Saniora's previous offer "for the sake of facilitating the formation of the cabinet" if he reinstates it.
JUMBLATT TO RECONSIDER GIVING UP TELECOMMUNICATIONS PORTFOLIO
For his part, the head of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc MP Walid Jumblatt joined Saniora in his campaign against Aoun, threatening to reconsider his "tentative approval of giving up the telecommunications portfolio in the forthcoming cabinet." The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said Jumblatt has relayed his stand to MP Saad Hariri (the head of the Future Parliamentary bloc) upon the latter's return from Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
HUSSEINI CALLS ON SANIORA TO STEP DOWN
Meanwhile, calls for Saniora to step down continued after he failed in forming the cabinet, more than one month on his nomination as PM-Designate. Former Speaker Hussein Al-Husseini called on Saniora to step down as "he is not capable of establishing a government."
Speaking during a TV interview, al-Husseini urged President Suleiman to start his term of office with a neutral and balanced interim government.
HOURI DECLARES INTENTION TO IMPOSE GOVERNMENT; NICOLAS RETORTS: LET THEM TRY!
However, it's very unlikely that Saniora will abandon his post to other potential candidates. Instead, it seems that he intends to impose a cabinet line-up and observe the reactions of the different parties.
"Saniora and President Michel Suleiman are close to taking a decision to go ahead with the formation of a new cabinet irrespective of whether Aoun agrees to the distribution of government portfolios," Future MP Ammar Houri told the Daily Star. Houri claimed Aoun's performance with respect to the formation of the new cabinet indicated that he was not serious about joining the government. "It seems he prefers to approach next year's parliamentary polls while still in the ranks of the opposition," Houri added.
For his part, Change and Reform MP Nabil Nicholas told the Daily Star that speaking about moving ahead with forming a new cabinet irrespective of whether the opposition agrees to the distribution of portfolios proves that Saniora was still operating with the "same old mentality." "Let them try to form the cabinet this way ... we will sit back and clap," he said sarcastically. | 
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