Aoun: Lebanon Going to Hell if it Fails to Line Up Government

President Michel Aoun warned on Monday that Lebanon could be heading towards “hell” if the competing political parties do not agree on a government, stressing that the ministerial portfolios are not distributed on the basis of sects in the Constitution.

“If a government is not lined up, Lebanon could drift to hell,” said Aoun during a televised speech on an overdue cabinet formation.

“The Development and Liberation bloc (of AMAL Movement) and (Hizbullah led) Loyalty to the Resistance insist to retain the finance ministerial portfolio and to name their ministers,” said Aoun on the demands of the Shiite duo.

“The Constitution does not stipulate allocation of any ministry to any sect or group, nor can any minister be granted authority that is not provided for him in the constitution,” he added on the rigid demands of AMAL and Hizbullah to retain the finance ministry.

He said PM-designate Mustafa Adib made several consultations with political parties without reaching a breakthrough which compelled him to step in.

“The Cabinet delay should not have happened. We presented solutions but none were adopted,” he said, but added that “his meetings with representatives of the parliamentary blocs, the majority demanded applying rotation in ministries, refusing that a Cabinet be formed without consulting them.”

The President said in order to overcome the problem, he “suggested abolishing sectarian distribution of ministries, known as sovereign, and not allocating them to specific sects.”

Asked about his talks with French President, Aoun said: “Yes, Macron and I discussed the cabinet formation but he is not the one to form the Lebanese cabinet, we do.”