March 8: Cabinet Will Not Collapse Despite Sharp Differences

The cabinet is keen to maintain its unity despite the disputes among its members on vital issues, March 8 sources told al-Liwaa newspaper published Thursday.

“The government will not collapse despite the bickering and disputes among its members as it’s achieving the minimum amount of security and stability” in Lebanon, the sources said.

The members of the cabinet, especially Hizbullah ministers, understand the stances taken by Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the source noted.

“These stances will not lead to the collapse of the cabinet, until further notice,” they stated.

On Wednesday, the cabinet session at the Grand Serail witnessed a heated debate between Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi, although it didn’t include any delicate article on its agenda.

Bassil criticized the Finance Ministry’s decision to halt the requests for treasury loans as Safadi, who is loyal to PM Miqati, refused to approve the energy ministry’s demand.

“The loan requests from your ministry always contain errors,” Safadi told Bassil.

But Bassil, who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, insisted that “it’s not true.”

“If you want another finance minister then search for one… It’s not a problem for me,” Safadi stated.

An Nahar newspaper reported that Miqati held a meeting on Tuesday night with Speaker Nabih Berri’s advisor Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's political advisor Hussein al-Khalil, and minister Bassil.

The meeting tackled the appointment of top civil servants in state institutions, and the mechanism to kick off the implementation of the main stages of the electricity plan.

A ministerial source told An Nahar that the meeting focused on the importance of activating the cabinet’s work.