By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanon’s newly-elected President Michel Suleiman said Wednesday that Lebanon is not facing any outside pressure during talks between political groups to form a cabinet.
“Apart from the highest national interest of Lebanon and the common interest of the Arab nations, nobody is able to exert pressure on the president,” he said in a statement.
The president made the remarks following a report by local As Safir daily that the United States is demanding Western-backed Elias Murr be appointed Lebanese Defense Minister.
Suleiman admitted some complications during the talks over the cabinet line-up, but he said he believes these issues can be peacefully solved through dialogue.
Suleiman was elected president on May 25 after six months of a presidential vacuum in the country under a deal reached in Doha between the ruling majority and the opposition.
The president has ordered Prime Minister-designate Fuad Siniorato form a national unity government, in which the opposition led by Shiite militant group Hezbollah has veto power, but obstacles are delaying its line-up.
Reports say the major obstacle facing the government make-up was that various political groups were competing over cabinet seats.