Saniora: Everyone's Committed to Political Deal on Rotation of Portfolios

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Saniora has rejected to back off from an agreement reached between the country's top leaders on the rotation of portfolios in the new government.

“We totally reject that,” Saniora said in remarks published on Saturday.

“Rotation is an essential and important step and is required in Lebanon's political life,” he told As Safir newspaper.

Premier-designate Tammam Salam has been informed about the approval of all rival parties of the concept of rotation, the lawmaker said.

“There has been a political agreement on this issue and everyone's committed to it,” he said.

But in similar remarks to An Nahar daily on Saturday, Change and Reform bloc lawmaker Alain Aoun denied Saniora's claims.

“Huge agreements in the country cannot be based on quadripartite alliances,” he said.

Aoun claimed that the Free Patriotic Movement was not consulted when the deal on the rotation of portfolios was struck between the different parties.

FPM chief Michel Aoun has rejected the rotation of portfolios in the new cabinet, delaying the line-up. He is holding onto the energy and telecommunications ministries that are part of his share in the resigned government of caretaker Premier Najib Miqati.

But the delay is putting pressure on Premier-designate Tammam Salam, who is mulling again to form a fait accompli government over the failure of the rivals to agree on the 24-member all-embracing cabinet and the rotation.