Geagea Accuses March 8 of Hindering Cabinet Formation Process to Appease Aoun
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has accused the March 8 alliance of obstructing the formation of the new cabinet to stand by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.
In an interview with An Nahar daily published on Thursday, Geagea said: The March 8 team is obstructing the all-embracing government whether intentionally or not or based on Hizbullah's willingness to stand by Aoun.”
Aoun has rejected the rotation of portfolios in the cabinet, sticking to the energy and telecommunications ministries that are part of the share of his Change and Reform bloc in the resigned government of caretaker Premier Najib Miqati.
President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam “should immediately announce a neutral cabinet,” said Geagea, who has rejected to participate in an all-embracing government.
The LF chief has been sticking to his demand for a non partisan cabinet, saying it is the only one capable of creating stability in the country and distancing itself from the logic of division of shares.
Geagea told An Nahar that only a neutral government can facilitate the presidential elections process.
“If it was an all-embracing government, then it could stay in power for long and would not speed up the election of a president,” he said.
Suleiman's six-year term ends in May. The constitution states that the parliament should start meeting on March 25 to elect a new head of state.
Suleiman and Salam have now the excuse to form the neutral cabinet, Geagea said, after the negotiations on the formation of the all-embracing government led to no result.
“They can ask Hizbullah if it was capable of convincing its allies” on the agreement reached between the rival parties to have a cabinet based on the 8-8-8 formula and the rotation of portfolios, he said.
“If Hizbullah answered them that I was not capable to do so, then the neutral cabinet should be announced,” Geagea added.
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