FPM: Govt. Blocked by Those Seeking Shares Bigger than Their Sizes

Political parties demanding “shares bigger than their parliamentary sizes” are behind the delay in the cabinet formation process, the Free Patriotic Movement said on Tuesday.

“We are with a national unity government with the broadest possible representation and this should be reached through the premier-designate and according to the constitutional rules of formation as well as parliamentary sizes,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan announced after the weekly meeting of the Strong Lebanon bloc of the FPM.

“The people said their word in the elections and defined the sizes and the distribution of rights according to these sizes would finalize the cabinet line-up in 15 minutes,” Kanaan added.

“Those seeking shares bigger than their parliamentary sizes are responsible for the delay in the cabinet formation process,” the MP went on to say, warning that the current circumstances “do not allow delay in addressing the files and the challenges.”

Stressing that the FPM is showing openness and is not “clinging to any ministerial portfolio,” the lawmaker called for unified standards that apply to all parties.

The main obstacles delaying the new government are reportedly the number of seats that should be allocated to the Lebanese Forces and whether or not MP Talal Arslan should be given a portfolio.

Saad Hariri was tasked with forming a new government on May 24.