Naharnet

Franjieh against Govt. Veto for Those who Want It 'against Rest of Christians'

Marada Movement chief ex-MP Suleiman Franjieh reiterated Thursday his rejection of granting President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement 11 ministers in the new government, or what constitutes a so-called one-third-plus-one veto power.

“Hizbullah is clinging to the representation of the Consultative Gathering in the government and will not back down,” Franjieh tweeted.

“We have not said that it (Hizbullah) is opposed to granting the President the one-third-plus-one veto power, but we, as a Christian group, are against granting the one-third-plus-one veto power for those who want to use it against the rest of Christians,” he added, clarifying remarks he voiced a day earlier during a Bkirki Maronite summit.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper meanwhile reported that Franjieh has called on Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to “cede a Sunni minister from his share to the Consultative Gathering if he is keen on granting the one-third-plus-one veto power to the President.”

The Bkirki summit had witnessed bickering between Franjieh and FPM chief MP Jebran Bassil, who said that “the one-third-plus-one veto power would strengthen the country, the state institutions and the President.”

Franjieh hit back, saying “the one-third-plus-one veto power will be used against the Lebanese Forces and Marada,” noting that Lebanon's confessional power-sharing “formula is not in danger.”

“When the formula becomes in danger, we will all defend it,” he added.

Source: Naharnet


Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/255271