Report: LF Concerned of Bassil’s Attempt to Break their Relation with Aoun
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Lebanese Forces emphasized eagerness to maintain good relations with President Michel Aoun, voicing fears that outgoing Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil “seeks to break” their ties with the “presidential term,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.
“Bassil wants to blow the LF relationship with the presidential term,” by allocating the share of the president in the new government to figures belonging to his “political line,” LF sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.
They confirmed keenness “on the position of the presidency and the role of the president, otherwise it would not have paved the way for General Aoun to reach the Baabda Palace through the Maarab Agreement,” they said.
As political parties wrangle over the distribution of ministerial portfolios in the new government, the issue of the president’s share in the Cabinet triggered controversy between the Free Patriotic Movement and LF.
Bassil, head of the FPM and Aoun’s son-in-law, had demanded six ministerial portfolios including finance or interior for his parliamentary bloc . He also said President Michel Aoun (FPM founder) should have four other separate portfolios.
On the other hand, the LF has vowed on Monday to be part of the President’s share in the new government, “we in the LF consider ourselves to be a part of the President's share, seeing as we were partners in his election,” they said.
LF sources voiced concerns that Bassil would under this heading tarnish the LF-President ties.
As per constitutional norms, Prime Minister Saad Hariri kicked off parliamentary consultations Monday morning to explore the demands of the parliamentary blocs regarding the line-up and policies of the new government.
30 May 2018, 11:32
03
Is this a case of a former strong man loosing more and more grip with reality? His son-in-law takes advantage of the situation and starts to influence more and more. It would be an absolute tragedy if the two main christian parties end up in open conflict again, leaving the Maarab Agreement o the historical garbage heap.
My prediction is that FPM will be a political battlefield the day the president draws his last breath. Bassil simply doesnt have the integrety, wisdom, carisma or trust from people to be a worthy leader.
31 May 2018, 17:59
00
The pact is not the issue, Bassil is. The FPM is the most disunited party with various factions pushing diffident agendas, the smallest faction is Bassil's. A group simply left. One is vocal within the party and one's biting tongue and time waiting for the post Michel Aoun era. In the eyes of his father in law Bassil can do no wrong. This is how he was able to gather a small clique of yes men and beneficiaries around him. Most rank and file do not trust him to have the party's best interests at heart. They realized that self interest comes before party. They saw it during the elections when he overlooked popular local FPM candidates and replaced them with candidate loyal to him. Many voted for the FPM lists while holding their noses, what else could they do. It's no longer a secret that Roukoz and Bassil cannot stand each others and this has already reared it's head within the Strong Lebanon bloc. Expect this to boil over and explode into a full on war. You've heard it here first.
