1.
GV & SV: Beirut Parliament Building with tank outside. (2 SHOTS)
0.10

2.
SV PAN: Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Kamel al-Assad, entering.
0.19

3.
CU PAN: Premier Selim al-Hoss entering.
0.29

4.
SV & CU INT: Mr. Assad and Dr. Hoss seated, talking. (3 SHOTS)
0.43

5.
SV: Dr. Hoss seated at further talks with deputies. (2 SHOTS)
0.55


Dr. Hoss headed a cabinet of technocrats formed when the Civil War ended. Political observers have said the proposals contained in the latest parliamentary formula are unlikely to be implemented soon and are regarded more as a declaration of principles for the new government.




Initials JS/1955



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Lebanese Prime Minister, Dr. Selim al-Hoss has been holding consultations with parliamentary groups on the formation of a new government. Although not immediately naming his new cabinet, Dr. Hoss has indicated it will be an enlarged one, probably of 19 ministers.

SYNOPSIS: A parliamentary crises erupted two weeks ago when Dr. Hoss and his eight-men cabinet resigned. He was asked last week (28 April) by President Elias Sarkis to form a new government and the next day met the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Kamel al-Assad, seen here arriving for the talks.

Dr. Hoss and his government had resigned to give politicians an opportunity to heal bitter communal divisions aggravated by the 1975-1976 Civil War. In response, political leaders drew up a formula calling for the banning o private militias and Palestinian guerrilla activity in Lebanon.

After his talks, Dr. Hoss said his first government's slogan was reconstruction, and a suitable slogan for the second would be "national accord".