Karami suspends Cabinet talks and retreats to Tripoli

The Daily Star - Politics - Karami suspends Cabinet talks and retreats to Tripoli:
The game is clear enough, rather than face inevitable defeat in parliamentary elections the status quo forces in Lebanon play for time. They hope that by postponing the elections they will allow time for the political mood to shift.
Meantime, the players dicker over position on their sinking ship.

"The failure to form a government is understood to now come down to the fact that former Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh is eyeing the Health Ministry's portfolio, a post which Speaker Berri wants to secure for one of his allies.
Meanwhile, outgoing Minister for the displaced Talal Arslan said he wanted the Public Works and Transport Ministry, which is now in the hands of a Berri ally.
Other loyalists have also placed conditions on Karami and have demanded certain key portfolios.
Outgoing pro-Syrian Environment Minister Wi'am Wahab said: 'Let the authorities take the Ministry of the Displaced, which is bankrupt, and honor us with a key portfolio.'
The new government, whose formation has been delayed several times, still needs to pass a new electoral law before the parliamentary polls due to be held by the end of May."