Avoid media in talks, Hariri says

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Lawmakers in Beirut should discuss the details of forming a new government away from the spotlight of the media, the prime minister-designate said.

Saad Hariri, embarking on his second effort to form a national government in Lebanon, called on politicians to keep away from the media and engage one another behind closed doors, Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper reports.

Hariri stepped down last week as political wrangling over a new Cabinet dragged on without resolution. With his March 14 coalition holding the majority, however, he was re-appointed as prime minister, moving negotiations into their third month.

Hariri said following a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora that the next Cabinet "should serve the interests of all the Lebanese and not the interest of one party or movement."

Michel Aoun, the leader of the opposition Free Patriotic Movement, said he favored a peaceful resolution to ongoing political disputes that got in the way of forward developments in Beirut.

"We agreed to keep things calm and avoid tensions in light of the growing economy and stable security conditions," he said.

Hariri led his March 14 slate to a narrow victory over the March 8 opposition movement in June parliamentary elections, pledging to work quickly to form a new government.