Report: FPM Seeking 'Veto Power, Future Presidency'

Difficulties facing the formation of the new government over ministerial quotas have political objectives, not only related to the size success of each party in the parliamentary elections, but also related to the Free Patriotic Movement’s “aspirations for veto power,” the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily said on Saturday.

The “tacit intentions behind the differences is the main drive for tensions between the Lebanese Forces, FPM and Progressive Socialist Party (over the Druze representation),” senior parliamentary sources told the daily.

They said the FPM’s demands to obtain eight portfolios in the government in addition to another three as part of the President’s share would grant them (11 out of 30-Cabinet seats) the so-called “blocking-third, a power to veto government decisions.”

Parties must be “vigilant in light of the aspirations of FPM chief Jebran Bassil” -President Michel Aoun’s son-in-law- to “control the government's decisions” mainly “when the time comes for the election of a new president in light of his ambitions to run for presidency when his uncle's terms comes to an end.”

The sources added: “Although there will be a new parliament in 2022 that will elect a new president, thus we can not predict the balance of power then, but controlling the government decisions through the blocking-third pressures other parties to accept the election of Bassil just as it did before Aoun’s election to the post of presidency when the FPM, in alliance with Hizbullah, obstructed the State institutions for two and a half years to push for his election.”

"Political parties came to realize the real objectives behind the FPM’s demands for ministerial portfolios and have therefore warned against the consequences," they explained.

The government formation process faces two obstacles one represented in the LF demand for “proper representation that reflects their success in the parliamentary elections.”

Another obstacle is the representation of the Druze which PSP chief Walid Jumblat insists it be strictly part for his party.