Salam, FPM Exchange Counter Accusations on Cabinet Delay
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam and the Free Patriotic Movement have exchanged accusations of responsibility for the delay in the formation of the new government.
FPM officials told As Safir daily published on Monday that “the obstacle in the cabinet formation is Msaitbeh because Salam created the crisis when he came up with the idea of rotation (of portfolios) and held onto it when (al-Mustaqbal bloc leader) ex-PM Fouad Saniora made it as a condition.”
The officials, who were not identified, expressed surprise at what they said was Salam's rejection to discuss with them the details of the distribution of seats to FPM officials based on the suggested rotation.
They wondered what portfolios would be from the FPM's share if they gave up the energy, telecommunications and justice ministers, which are currently led by the movement's officials.
FPM leader Michel Aoun has been stalling the formation of an all-embracing 24-member government for claiming that the country's top leaders did not consult him when they struck a deal on the 8-8-8 formula and the rotation of portfolios among sects.
On Sunday, caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil reiterated the FPM’s opposition to the rotation, saying his ministry ensured the role of Christians in the country.
But several local dailies quoted Salam as saying on Monday that the formation process is not a hobby or a waste of time.
“It requires strong efforts and a responsibility by all political parties,” he told his visitors.
“Where is the logic in having a single party standing against the agreement” to form an all-embracing cabinet? Salam wondered.
“Should we stop the country and its interests based on the wishes and demands of a single person and a specific portfolio?” he asked in reference to the energy ministry.
27 January 2014, 08:32
1216
Typical post taef attitude. As long as HA and mustakbal are happy, and jumby is happy, the Christians can take the crumbs.
27 January 2014, 08:42
1216
No Lebanon_First: The Christians have never taken the crumbs despite your claims. The Minister of Defense is Christian, the Minister of Interior is Christian. No Need for me to list all the others.
27 January 2014, 09:22
1214
ice-man... FlimFlam is one very confused puppy, his answers depend on what day of the week it is.
27 January 2014, 09:28
1214
I await the day when i will read ONE meaningful post, ONE counter argument, ONE credible or mature info from you, -_Flamethrower_- , but alas!
27 January 2014, 11:05
137
unbelievable! Hey guys, we do not deserve all these up votes:))) There are only 3 or 4 posters and dear@Jaafar no need for these silly games!
27 January 2014, 09:01
1314
I don't need a testimony from an ignorant person to testify to my Christianity, flamethrower.
27 January 2014, 09:42
1114
Funny is that you consider that Christians are only represented by Aoun. They are also represented by the centrist and by m14.
27 January 2014, 11:08
714
Of course, The FPM does not represent all the Christians, and we don't even know if they would represent the majority of the Christians in the next election. What is partly going on here is a competition for the Christian vote. The FPM is positioning itself as the party that fights for Christian rights, even if it means vexing its allies in M8.
Would I vote FPM? no, and the main reason is its alliance with Hezbollah. And as long as Hezbollah has a private army outside the control of the state, I will oppose it.
27 January 2014, 09:42
1311
Funny is that you consider that Christians are only represented by Aoun. They are also represented by the centrist and by m14.
27 January 2014, 11:31
124
42% of the Christian vote is what Aoun and his christian allies achieved in the 2009 elections. Down slightly from the 75% that were with him based on what he said when he was in exile. That means 58% are not with him so in no way does he represent the majority of Christians.
27 January 2014, 16:53
72
All of those belong to one camp and near identical politics. So the majority of Christians are against Aoun and his political stand.
This argument of yours FT. I would love to be involved in a business with you. How bout this? I will invest the "majority" of the capital. And I agree that you get the "majority" of the profits.
27 January 2014, 08:54
1214
"Tammam Salam and the Free Patriotic Movement have exchanged accusations"… that is not news, all Aoun ever does is accuse.
“Should we stop the country and its interests based on the wishes and demands of a single person and a specific portfolio?”… WOW, it looks like the Clown and the pick-pocket don't have a friend in the world.
27 January 2014, 09:51
611
OK, so here is a post that will drown me with thumbs down.
Could any body give me a valid reason as to why the FPM shouldn't stand its ground and demand those portfolios? I need a valid reason, not the tired old "they need those ministries they could steal and embezzle". They all line their pockets, whether they are M14 or M18.
I don't like Michel Aoun, but whether we like it or not his party has a large constituency. The FPM has a duty to fight for the best interest of its people.
27 January 2014, 10:00
28
could you give one valid reason as to why they should keep them, apart from the nonsense about competency etc.?
The issue is not here or there. The issue this government supposedly was conceived (not yet) based on some agreed principles: 8-8-6, rotation of portfolios, and baabda declaration. A month or so ago, Nasrallah was saying "9-9-6 now better than much worse later". The opposing parties met him half way and an agreement has been made. To use the Christian card as usual, the FPM and Aoun prove to be the obstacle once again.
27 January 2014, 10:58
611
Popeye, I see where you are coming from. But this government is supposed to be a transitional one, mainly tasked with overseeing the presidential election. After the elections, a new cabinet will be formed. Why not giving the FPM what they want and move forward for the presidential elections. What difference will 4 months make? Not much in the workings of the ministries concerned. The real difference is that the FPM would get the credit for securing key Christian posts, and that would translate into more votes for the FMP. M14 would not want to see this happen.
27 January 2014, 11:15
124
Dear Jabal, you said "The real difference is that the FPM would get the credit for securing key Christian posts, and that would translate into more votes for the FMP. M14 would not want to see this happen."
So, it is politics and has nothing to do with Christian rights as the FPM is claiming. Politics means financial gain, power, and eventually corruption. I see nothing wrong fighting for votes and winning elections. It is the FPM's right as much as it is the right of its opponents. What I am discrediting is their claim to protecting Christians rights under the disguise of pure and financial gains.
27 January 2014, 10:46
613
@pjama. I was more than willing to discuss this issue with you until I read "come on! get a brain". I see no reason why I should engage in a discussion with a person who engages in cheap personal attacks. Have a good day.
27 January 2014, 10:51
117
LOL @Mr. Jabal:)) But you regularly engage with flamethrower, the worst offender of all.
27 January 2014, 12:00
513
Popeye, of course it is politics! That's what politicians do: position themselves to secure votes and have a job. The ultimate goal of a politician is to stay in power. All politicians are so, no matter what they say.
Every party tries to brand itself. The FPM brands itself as the party that fights for Christian rights, because it is after Christian votes. So when you say "it is politics and it has nothing to do with Christian rights", I would say: Christians rights IS politics. The FPM is trying to convince us that its political agenda IS Christian rights. It is up to us to decide whether this political agenda appeals to us or not. It doesn't appeal to me that much because this agenda deepens the sectarian entrenchment in the country. I do worry a lot about the eroding role of Christians in Lebanon, but I don't think that we should bunch up in an "us" and "them" formation. We can't have a siege mentality.
I wish I had the solution, but I don't.
27 January 2014, 11:28
124
did you see any reason why my post should have been deleted above? I was debating and look what happened?!!!
27 January 2014, 11:42
136
Relax @popeye. The moderator position is also subject to routine rotation. It just so happened that today a HA mod is on duty:)
27 January 2014, 11:55
134
Popeye I think its because someone called Jaafar reported your post.
27 January 2014, 14:23
410
You know I find it funny how everyone here blames this person or that person for the divided nature of the country and why it is in such a ruined state. I mean how can we move forward when the people who have dragged us down for the last 40 years remain in power. Let's put the record straight here. In the last 40 years the country has seen a civil war where everyone was involved in the destruction of the country and hence deepening the sectarian divide. Since then we've had a mounting amount of national debt a decrease in most of the Lebanese's standard of living. Complete lawlessness, no tackling of poverty, no state benefits, a deterioration in the health and education sector, awful roads, lack of morality and all in all a country full of chaos and thieves. This is the legacy of all those people that you all seem to defend.
27 January 2014, 14:23
410
Aren't you all ready for a fresh tune? Surely most of you have lived abroad and possibly voted, were law abiding citizens and succeeded due to merit. Why don't we want this in our dear Lebanon. Why keep chanting the same chant. Please enlighten me. These politicians have failed us time and time again yet you continue to back them up. Please tell me why? Pity
27 January 2014, 15:39
56
The name of the game is called DELAY. The aim is to keep delaying and dragging their feet till the time to elect a new president comes, when at that time there's still neither parliament and even worse, no cabinet. The aim is to bring Lebanon without any constitutional representation of any kind, if you the people of Lebanon have not yet realized the game, then know it, if things continue unabated like this, then the time will come soon when you will have no legality to represent you. Who does this serve, it's up to you to know, but I believe that we all know whom this benefits the most.
27 January 2014, 19:22
54
the_snore, no one is penalizing the FPM they are talking about the rotation of all portfolios. If you are so concern with how the Lunatic Aoun & his thieving son-in-law will line their pockets why don't you add their names to one of those charitable organization you keep telling us about.
