NNA - Member of Parliament, Atef Majdalani, said on Tuesday that the cabinet formation issue and the nearing presidential deadline were two different issues that ought to be handled separately.



"Forming a cabinet has become of paramount importance, not to mention holding presidential elections on time in line with constitutional and democratic Parliamentary dictates," Majdalani told the Voice of Lebanon radio station, urging all Lebanese political parties to abide by the constitution.



"All the major political disputes have got to be solved at Baabda's dialogue table in the presence of President Michel Sleiman," the lawmaker added, deeming this the sole means by which the cabinet can aptly handle its duties facing the simmering security and economic situation at the local scene.



He also implored Hezbollah to withdraw from the Syrian battle field and seek instead the formation of an independent cabinet that's capable of handling the Lebanese citizens' affairs.



Moreover, the Member of Parliament dismissed the new cabinet formula suggestion of 8-8-8 with two "king ministers" as a clear attempt to fool the public opinion.



"We tried having a king minister in Saad Hariri's cabinet, but this king proved to be no king at all -- he turned out to be an outright political follower," he added.


=================R.H.