Beirut - Saba:
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam on Friday denied the existence of obstacles to forming his government, stressing his commitment to working hard and quickly to save the country.
Salam explained in press statements following his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that there is a consensus among the parliamentary blocs and deputies he met on the importance of accelerating the country's recovery and addressing its crises, pledging to work around the clock, seven days a week, to achieve this goal.
Regarding what is being raised in the media about the existence of obstacles, Salam said: "I heard and read about obstacles, but I confirm that there are no obstacles from anyone. I saw statements in the media indicating two options: understanding or clashing, and I repeated that the only option is understanding and joint work. There is no room for obstruction or failure, as everyone is committed to forming the government quickly in order to start the rescue process.
The Prime Minister stressed his commitment to the Lebanese constitution, saying "I and President Nabih Berri are working according to Taif Constitution, which represents our only reference, and we will remain in constant contact until the government is formed."
Regarding the distribution of ministerial portfolios, Salam replied "I will not talk about the portfolios, names, or the vision of the government before meeting with the President of the Republic and consulting with him."
For his part, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri described the meeting as "promising," referring to the progress of discussions regarding the formation of the government.
Nawaf Salam had held non-binding parliamentary consultations with the parliamentary blocs over the past two days, amid a boycott by the Development and Liberation blocs and the Loyalty Resistance bloc.
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