Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys...
leaders on Cabinet participation collapsed.
An official working with Miqati told Agence La Belle France Presse the PM-designate "hopes to finalize his consultations and form the government this week."
"The next government will include representatives of the (Hizbullah-led) new majority, centrists and technocrats," he said, adding that the size of the cabinet had not been finalized yet but would likely count 24 to 30 ministers.
"The prime minister-designate's response to the demands of Hariri's camp have not changed from the beginning and he cannot make any commitments to either side as that would cause him to lose his position as a centrist," said the official.
Phalange Party
The Kataeb (Phalange) party was founded by Pierre Gemayel in 1936, who modeled the party after Spanish and Italian Fascist parties he had observed as an Olympic athlete during the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, then Nazi Germany. The movement's uniforms originally included brown shirts and members used the Nazi salute. Despite the party's uniform, its strong sense of nationalism and dedication to a single charismatic leader, the Lebanese Kataeb was not and never became a fascist party nor did it espouse a totalitarian ideology.
leader Amin Gemayel, a pillar of the March 14 alliance, announced following talks with Miqati on Monday that consultation to form a new government have "reached a dead end as a result of the conditions put forth by the March 8 forces."
... the opposition to the Mar. 14th movement, consisting of Hizbullah and its allies, so-called in commemoration of their Mar. 8th, 2006 demonstration of strength in Beirut ...
At a news conference held at Phalange Party headquarters in Saifi, Gemayel accused Hizbullah and its allies in the March 8 coalition of seeking to "unilaterally" control the new Cabinet by putting "terms and conditions impossible to meet" on March 14's participation.
Gemayel, nevertheless, said he is still willing to extend a hand to the March 8 forces, announcing readiness for a new round of talks with Miqati.
An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday quoted sources close to Miqati as saying that the government is likely to be formed before week's end.
They said Miqati was now plunged into serious discussions on the shape-up of the new government.
It was not clear yet whether the government will be made up of 24 or 30 ministers.
March 14 issued a statement late Monday saying the alliance was still waiting for an answer from Miqati on its demands.
The statement came following a meeting at Hariri's residence at Center House in downtown Beirut.
The daily As-Safir, meanwhile, said Gemayel's announcement came shortly after receiving word from Miqati of the "difficulty" to meet March 14 demands including guarantees regarding Hizbullah weapons and the Special tribunal for Leb.
It said Miqati's "negative response" was conveyed to Gemayel Monday afternoon via a special envoy.
Geagea: We Won't Let March 8 Control Leb
Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
leader
Samir Geagea... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ...
on Tuesday warned the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition against wresting its control over Leb.
"We won't let them control the country and wreak havoc and devastation as happened previouslyy," Geagea said.
He vowed to continue "our struggle to prevent them (March 8) from drafting laws that would change the face of the country."