By Paul Astih – english.aawsat.com

Beirut – The newly formed Lebanese Cabinet is expected to convene on
Wednesday at the Baabda Palace, while Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri has
officially moved to Beirut’s Grand Serail, the premiership’s
headquarters. Wednesday’s Cabinet session, chaired by President Michel Aoun, will
have only one item on its agenda – that is the formation of a
ministerial committee that would be entrusted with drafting the
ministerial statement, based on which Parliament will give the Cabinet
the confidence vote.

Well-informed sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that there was a
“quasi-agreement” on the content of the ministerial statement, which
would be mainly based on President Michel Aoun’s oath-taking speech. The sources added that none of the political parties would have
objections over the ministerial statement, especially that the current
Cabinet was regarded as a transitional government and would only focus
on drafting a new electoral law and holding parliamentary elections in
May.

Information Minister Melhem Riachi said that no complications would
hamper the drafting of the ministerial statement, stressing that all
political parties have expressed their support to stances announced by
Aoun during the oath-taking ceremony. In comments to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Riachi said that the
presence of March 14 and March 8 figures in the government would bolster
government’s work and make it more efficient.

Riachi added that the new government’s priorities were to best serve
the Lebanese people’s interests and agree on a new electoral law.

In earlier remarks following the announcement of the Cabinet’s
formation, Hariri stressed that the main priorities would be represented
by preserving security stability in the wake of crises in the region.

He added that the country should be protected from the negative repercussions resulting from the war in Syria.