Bassil: We Haven’t Yet Reached the Point of Regret for Naming Miqati
Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil has stressed that the Change and Reform bloc “hasn’t yet reached the point of regret” for nominating Najib Miqati as premier but described the status quo as “dangerous” which will impose a review of the bloc’s policies.
In remarks to An Nahar daily published Friday, Bassil said that Miqati believed the bloc’s demand for 12 ministers in the new cabinet was exaggerated.
“We haven’t yet reached the point of regret” in choosing Miqati “but surely this frustrating and dangerous situation will make us take another look at this issue,” he said.
Bassil reiterated that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc was holding onto its demand for the interior ministry portfolio in the new cabinet, adding: “This does not mean we don’t have a say on other ministries.”
The FPM official said there was an attempt to transform the new parliamentary majority into two teams – the previous opposition and an independent group.
While Bassil did not name any single party behind the delay in the formation of the government, he said: “The essential problem today is that there isn’t a unified understanding on the source of the problems or the differences.”
He hinted that the obstacles facing the cabinet formation won’t be removed as long as “there isn’t a unified understanding on the nature of the problem.”
Bassil also described reports about a possible proposal of a “de facto government” as a "threat."
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