Beirut - Lebanon's Premier-designate Saad Hariri said Thursday he was still attempting to form a national coalition cabinet, but warned "all possibilities" were still open if such a bid failed. Many observers fear that if Hariri fails in his second round of consultations the country might be heading towards return to the tension in the streets which have plagued it so often before - including the murder of Hariri's own father, a former prime minister.
Hariri abandoned his first bid to form a national unity cabinet last month after failing to secure backing for a proposed line-up from his political opponents, the Hezbollah-led opposition - who were insisting on having a say as to who would head each ministry.
"I give priority to a national consensus cabinet, but all possibilities are open in case we reach a dead end," Hariri said following talks with the various parliamentary blocs at the Lebanese parliament.
"National responsibility compels us to find a way out of crises," he said, adding that he discussed with parliamentary blocs political, security, economic and social challenges facing Lebanon.
He said dialogue with lawmakers was serious and helped build trust among different parties.
After failing in his first attempts at coalition-building, Hariri was reappointed as premier and started his second-round of consultations with the various lawmakers.
Hariri is one of the sons of Rafiq Hariri, the assassinated former Prime Minister of Lebanon.
