Agreement Reached on Nominating Marwan Charbel as Interior Minister

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Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s government might witness light over the weekend after agreement was reached on granting the controversial interior ministry portfolio to retired Internal Security Forces Maj. Gen. Marwan Charbel.

Media reports said Thursday that President Michel Suleiman approved to grant the portfolio to Charbel who was among the list of names that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun had agreed on.

Suleiman and Aoun had been bickering on the portfolio since Miqati’s nomination in January. The president wanted to keep it as part of his share in the new cabinet while Aoun was insisting on giving the ministry to his Change and Reform bloc.

According to As Safir daily, Aoun suggested that Charbel heads the ministry and Suleiman later agreed.

But Baabda palace sources denied to Naharnet on Thursday that the FPM leader was behind the suggestion, saying that the bickering between the two men was fundamentally on Aoun’s insistence to give the interior ministry portfolio to his son-in-law Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil.

“The idea for a retired brigadier-general to head the interior ministry is essentially Suleiman’s and does not belong to any other side,” the sources said.

Charbel has friendship ties with the president while his son-in-law, known to be a high ranking FPM official, is among other relatives with close ties with Aoun.

Comments 1
Default-user-icon True Lebanese (Guest) 12 May 2011, 20:55

One hurdle solved... 100 to go !!!!