Zoaiter Denies Favoritism, Says he Doesn't Differentiate between Muslims and Christians

Public Works Minister Ghazi Zoaiter denied on Thursday claims that his ministry has been carrying out more development projects in areas with a Muslim population than in Christian regions.

“No one has the right to resort to sectarian incitement to make certain gains,” he said at a press conference he held at his office.

Zoaiter claimed that his ministry had carried out projects across Lebanon, including Dinniyeh where the population is mostly Sunni and the Christian eastern town of Zahle.

“I don't differentiate between Muslims and Christians,” said Zoaiter, who is a Shiite and represents Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal Movement in the cabinet,

“It is our duty to carry out projects without any differentiation,” he added.

“Let those accusing us of being sectarian dare to give us facts about the division of posts (among different confessions) at their ministries,” Zoaiter stressed.

His press conference came after he received a letter from Kataeb Party's Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, a Christian, claiming injustice in projects implemented in areas of Christian dominance.

On Wednesday, another minister representing Berri's Amal movement, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, held a similar press conference to defend a decision to allocate a senior post at the ministry's taxpayers department that was held by Bassema Antonios, a Christian, to Shiite Muslim employee Mohammed Suleiman.

The finance ministry has not witnessed any new appointments but rather a periodic reshuffle of incumbent employees, he said.

G.K.

D.A.