Hizbullah Rejects Formation of Cabinet without Ally Aoun, Calls for Lenient Stances by FPM
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Hizbullah is exerting efforts to convince its ally the Free Patriotic Movement to lower its rhetoric concerning the cabinet formation process and end obstacles hindering the government formation.
According to al-Liwaa newspaper published on Monday, a meeting was held on Sunday evening between FPM's caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and a delegation from Hizbullah.
The participants discussed the cabinet formation process, in which the delegation stressed that the “allies will take part in the cabinet lineup together or they won't.”
Hizbullah sources told the newspaper that head of the FPM MP Michel Aoun insists on rejecting the concept of rotating ministerial portfolios.
“We are exerting efforts to convince Aoun to be more lenient, stressing that the latest meeting in Rabieh discussed means to end the stalemate,” the sources pointed out.
Sources denied that Hizbullah informed Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam that Hizbullah “gave up” concerning the cabinet lineup process, stressing that the party is “confused over Aoun's stance.”
The cabinet formation process reached an impasse after being put on front burner.
Aoun's insistence that his bloc retain the Energy and Telecommunications Ministries portfolios, currently held by caretaker Ministers Bassil and Nicolas Sehnaoui respectively is viewed to be the main obstacle. In addition to his rejection to the concept of rotation of ministerial portfolios.
Salam, who was appointed in April, is holding onto the concept of “fair, balanced and comprehensive rotation of portfolios,” which is rejected by the Free Patriotic Movement.
An Nahar newspaper reported that the energy minister, who will be appointed in Salam's cabinet, cannot kickoff any new contracts or deal with the current as the lifespan of the cabinet will be short and the governments main task would be overseeing the upcoming presidential elections.
The report points out that any work set to be done by the ministry will have to await the cabinet that will be formed after the presidential elections are staged, arguing that Aoun's insistence to retain the energy ministry is void.
The latest efforts to form a new government have yielded an agreement over the formation of a 24-member cabinet which grants eight ministers to each of the March 8 and 14 camps and centrists.
The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 alliances, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.
Alternatives to the 8-8-8 government lineup are a de facto cabinet or a neutral one, said Speaker Nabih Berri.
Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat are however pressing for the formation of an all-embracing government.
27 January 2014, 09:23
137
Many refer to him as the Miracle child. He is the only one who has two.
27 January 2014, 09:59
135
That must have been a terrible upbringing for little gigi… but it looks like he has taken after Aoun since he live above ground and has taken to thieving as a profession.
27 January 2014, 10:34
135
nice family photo of father and son. BTW, Flamethrower dos not report comments out of spite.
27 January 2014, 14:22
411
thank god the valuable comments of ice-boy and the puppet were preserved.
27 January 2014, 19:05
41
Hello momo, how is the Ayatollah doing? Are there any new orders for the Iranian in Hiding?
27 January 2014, 09:02
137
“We are exerting efforts to convince Aoun to be more lenient"… lenient? The portfolios don't belong to any one. Aoun is all for Change & Reform as long as it does not affect him or gigi.
27 January 2014, 12:25
26
Why would you have a rotating cabinet when the government is only short term?? It just doesn't make sense. Lebanese are retarded when it comes to politics. They hate each other so much that they couldn't care less about each other. The history of the Lebanese the past 35 years has demonstrated how self-centred and narrow-minded they are. No wonder there are over 20 million Lebanese in the Diaspora. Larger than our own Jewish community. Maybe Kissinger was right when he said the Palestinians should have their own homeland in Lebanon and the Lebanese could be given refugee in Canada & the United States.
27 January 2014, 13:06
143
please, @Jaafar, no need for sectarian talk. The country is going thru tough times as it is. Thousands read your comments here and you might influence them. The last thing we need is people calling for changing the sect of the president. You should be calling for calm and reason at this stage. Shame on you! I voted you down, sorry.
27 January 2014, 13:34
32
Why shouldn't positions be given to who ever is competent enough but should be limited to a certain term to avoid corruption
27 January 2014, 14:24
311
ice-boy: jaafar called, and he said you should stop harassing him, he does not share your feelings and he thinks your obsession is becoming a little creepy.
27 January 2014, 15:51
23
All this posturing is aimed at one thing, delay, delay, delay and bring Lebanon to that doom day when the last vestige of legality is gone, the presidency. My rock bottom dime on that, it's a dirty game indeed. Saad Hariri check mated M8 when he agreed on the cabinet they proposed early last week, now look at the latest trick they've come up with? It's January 2014 right? If matters are left to M8 to decide and nothing happens, then May 2014 will come, and the country will be either without a president, or the Army General will be forced to take over the reins of governance, unless that is president Suleiman orders Salam to form the government, and that will surely pit him and Salam head on against Hezbollah and their stooges. If I was Suleiman, I'll take the gamble, and do it now.
27 January 2014, 16:05
53
M8 is now doing allllllll it can, to bring about that void, and try by all means to install a pro M8 president, someone like Emile Lahoud, or La sama7allah, Aboul Miche. M8 is anxious to make it happen because they now judge, (wrongly) that Suleiman is sympathetic to M14 and even worse, Kahwaji is seen as being exactly the same as Suleiman. M8 will use the political conviction of Hezbollah's weapons to force once again another puppet into Baabda and bingo, Lebanon is all theirs to do whatever they want henceforth. I hope people will wake up before it's too late, Lebanon simply cannot afford another Monsieur Lacoste swimming champion as a president, and even worse, a wanna be general who at one time or the other felt he was the reincarnation of General De Gaul or of Bachir Gemayel, both of which he isn't, not even in his wildest dreams.
27 January 2014, 18:15
73
Because he abandoned all his principles and went to bed with Hizballah against everything that he stood for previous to that unholy alliance. Such turncoats do not deserve any respect.
27 January 2014, 18:16
22
Roar bro, life's a hard cookie to crack younger brother. Opinions too, they are never sweet, but at the end of the day everyone's views are needed, those we perceive as concurring, those that are not, what matters most though is that each and everyone adheres to a good level of decorum, in which we respect the views of others just as we wish to see ours receive the same treatment. Your views are important dear Roar, and many times I find myself learning from you, but in as far as pertains to the general, I am in profound regret to tell you that I don't share your enthusiasm (if I can call it such) on Aoun. Maybe I am wrong, maybe not, but it's been many years that I have this rejection of him, call it innate, call it based on experience, sadly till now I cannot bridge this canyon with you. Love you bro.
27 January 2014, 19:09
51
Get off it the_snore, if you want got fantasies about the pajama boy being the Napoleon of Lebanon go right ahead just don't expect the rest of us to join you in your wet dream.
