Hariri Hits Back after Aoun Sends Letter Rebuking Him to Parliament

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Tuesday snapped back at President Michel Aoun, after the latter sent parliament a letter blaming the premier-designate for the ongoing delay in the cabinet formation process.

“The President’s letter to parliament is insistence on the policy of reversing facts and escaping forward and it aims to cover up for the foreign minister’s diplomatic scandal toward the brothers in the Arab Gulf,” Hariri tweeted, adding that there will be a further response during a session that parliament will hold to discuss Aoun’s letter.

In the letter, Aoun put the blame for the delay squarely on Hariri’s shoulders and asked parliament to take “the appropriate stance, measure or decision” for the sake of the people.

“It has become evident that the PM-designate is incapable of forming a government capable of salvation and of effective communication with the foreign financial institutions, the international funds and donor nations,” Aoun said.

“He is still detaining and perpetuating the (government’s) formation after his designation, and he is also imprisoning the people and governance, taking them together as a hostage… and ignoring every reasonable deadline for formation,” the president charged.

Aoun also blamed Hariri for halting “binding consultations with the various parliamentary blocs and with the president of the republic,” stressing that the constitution stipulates that the PM-designate forms the government in “agreement” with the President prior to the issuance of its formation decree.