Beirut – Lebanese Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb said that the main task of the new Cabinet was to hold parliamentary elections within the constitutional deadline.

In an interview with Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Chehayeb warned that any attempt to extend the term of the current parliament would have negative repercussions on Lebanon’s reputation and would affect international donations to the country.

The Lebanese minister noted that the process of government’s creation has not yet surpassed the acceptable deadlines, hoping that no concealed hurdles were impeding the formation of the cabinet.

Chehayeb stressed that the current situation in neighboring countries and the region necessitated “speeding up the formation of a national unity government that would strengthen Lebanon’s security and stability.”

“All political forces, with no exception, should facilitate the formation of the government by offering compromises that put national interests above all personal considerations,” the agriculture minister told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

Commenting on the flexibility showed by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt regarding his share in the Cabinet, Chehayeb stressed Jumblatt’s national stances, adding: “The difficult economic situation in Lebanon does not allow for political luxuries that weaken the country’s ability to face challenges ahead.”

Asked about his opinion on the new electoral law, the Lebanese minister said that the PSP, the Future Movement and the Lebanese Forces had suggested the adoption of an electoral law that would combine both the majority system and the proportional system.

He added that his party rejected any attempt to extend the term of the current parliament under the pretext of creating a new electoral law.

Chehayeb strongly condemned the genocides and crimes against humanity in the Syrian city of Aleppo, calling on the international community to immediately stop all forms of aggressions against the Syrian people.