Bassil Says Lack of Confidence Among Foes Threatens Cabinet Lineup

Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Thursday that the Free Patriotic Movement is working on dismantling the acute political lineups, accusing the March 14 alliance of contradicting itself.

“We are contributing with the political foes to bridge the gap and reach an all-embracing cabinet,” Bassil said in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper.

He considered that the the “main obstacle is lack of confidence between the rival parties.”

Asked if the MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc is absent from any political endeavors set to form a new cabinet led by Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam for rejecting the principle of rotation of portfolios, Bassil said that “negotiation haven't reached this matter yet.”

“This issue will be discussed in phase two of negotiations and we will have a clear stance over the matter,” the caretaker Minister pointed out.

Bassil expressed fear that some sides “might have foreign agendas and is wasting time.”

He pointed out that any attempt to form a defacto cabinet is mere talks, warning that it would “explode.”

The government formation process has witnessed an intensified a political activity in an attempt to end the standstill since Salam was appointed in April.

The cabinet formation process was put on the front burner after Speaker Nabih Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and President Michel Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days.

Amid the Lebanese Forces' rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 camp has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties.

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.