Aoun's trend to take part in the Lebanese government
Lebanon, Politics, 7/11/2005

Lebanese politician Michael Aoun dropped his decision not to take part in the first Lebanese government, which the designated Lebanese prime minister Fouad Sanyoura has been trying to form since June 30th.

Aoun told journalists on Saturday following the meeting of the Free National trend, which he leads, that his decision to take part in the government comes after contacts made with him by the designated prime minister. He expressed his hope that this step will contribute to accelerate the process of formulating the government.

He indicated that there are points of differences with Sanyoura and other sides that are still pending and described these points as "not being discussed in the media, rather among the officials." Aoun refused to confirm whether he was promised by Sanyoura to give the Free National trend the ministry of justice after Saad al-Hariri who presides over the largest parliamentary bloc inside the parliament rejected this request, considering that "Aoun's demands cannot be met concerning the ministries the trend want to assume."

Among the main points of differences which also impede the formation of the government is the demand set by the Shiite trend which supports Syria ( Amal and Hizbullah) that the foreign minister should be a Shiite. Sanyoura wants the post of the foreign minister to go th Fouad Butrous, a Christian who had earlier assumed the post of the foreign ministry.

Previous Stories:
  Lahoud meets Abbas, supports Palestinian issue   (7/9/2005)
  Paris rules out international force deployment in Lebanon   (7/7/2005)
  Sanyoura achieves progress in forming the Lebanese government   (7/7/2005)

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