Geagea: We Won't Hamper Government Line-up if We Don't Get Finance Portfolio

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea assured on Wednesday that the Christian political parties will not be the ones who will hamper the formation of the new government, and that civil war will not erupt if the LF were not given the finance portfolio.

“The finance ministry portfolio is paramount in the government. There is a team in the Lebanese Forces that has been preparing for it more than any other portfolio, but there will be no civil war if we do not get it. I don't adhere to anything. The Christians will not be the ones who make the obstacles,” stressed Geagea in an interview to An Nahar daily.

With regard to the bickering with Speaker Nabih Berri over the finance portfolio, Geagea expressed keenness for his friendship with Berri. He assured that demanding to be given the finance ministry is only based on the principle of rotation of portfolios which has also been affirmed by the Free Patriotic Movement.

Geagea denied the accusations fired at the LF accusing it of making beforehand agreements with the FPM on the distribution of ministries before their understanding on the election of President Michel Aoun. He assured that “they only agreed on a set of ideas and principles to work on their application.”

On a set of complaints by some that the LF is “hungry” for ministerial portfolios, Geagea said: “The Lebanese Forces are at the forefront of political parties that have not panted behind ministerial portfolios since the launch of the Taef accord 26 years ago. We did not take part in several governments and have not asked for shares. Everybody knows the role we played and how we contributed to the birth of this agreement between the Lebanese.”

Geagea expressed optimism with regard to the formation of the new cabinet, which he says will achieve much if its representatives played their roles well and worked in as “one coherent team” to take the country from failure to a successful efficient state.

The LF chief did not set a specific date for launching the new line-up, as he said that he prefers it to be comprised of 24 ministers rather than 30 as some demand. He told PM-designate Saad Hariri: “If the political parties prefer the second choice then there is nothing to do. I will not oppose it.”

He went on to explain that “the cabinet can not represent most of the political parties and sects in the country similar to the parliament. The cabinet must be productive and coherent.”