Marouni: Kataeb Will Keep an Eye on Government Performance

Kataeb party MP Elie Marouni said on Monday that the party will always stand by President Michel Aoun and at the parliament as a safety valve against corruption bids, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday.

“From the beginning, Kataeb has refrained from engaging in the distribution of shares because it only cares about what serves Lebanon's best interest. We will always support the President. At the parliament we will be the safety valve and the opposition against attempts of corruption and distribution of shares which was clearly evident in the formation of the cabinet,” said Marouni.

On the refusal of the Kataeb to take part in the cabinet after it was offered a state minister post, Marouni said: “We pledge to be the watching eye to eliminate corruption.”

The Kataeb chief Sami Gemayel said he believed that what was offered to the Kataeb was aimed at excluding it from the cabinet.

Criticizing the manner that the cabinet was formed, Marouni assured that the party “will watch its performance,” and considered “corruption is spreadinh and the government was formed in a corrupt manner.”

Lebanon's cabinet was lined-up on Sunday, 45 days after the designation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri for the task.

The line-up of a 30-minister cabinet was announced at the Baabda Palace, bringing together most of the political spectrum except for the Kataeb Party that refused to be represented by a state minister.