Tumult Over Failure to Agree on Proposals to Solve Interior Ministry Deadlock
Premier-designate Najib Miqati was on Tuesday mulling to form a de facto government after President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun continued to hold onto their demands for the interior ministry portfolio as part of their shares in the new cabinet.
Aoun’s accusations against Suleiman and Miqati on Monday for being responsible behind the delay in the formation of the cabinet further complicated the process.
Involved sources told An Nahar daily in remarks published Tuesday that Miqati could strike a deal with Suleiman to form a de facto cabinet after several suggestions to solve the interior ministry deadlock failed.
Among the proposals were to choose either Brig. Paul Matar, or Brig. Marwan Bitar or retired Brig. Charles Ghafari.
Suleiman’s circles told al-Liwaa newspaper that the president considered an attempt to bring Matar as a minister a “dangerous effort to shove the military into the political game.”
Another suggestion to solve the interior ministry deadlock was for the president to name three people and Aoun would choose among them or vice versa.
Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud reiterated that he rejects to be the reason behind the delay, telling As Safir newspaper “I won’t seek any post.”
Despite the pessimism, Miqati’s sources told al-Mustaqbal daily that the rhetoric against the prime minister-designate “would not work.” It is aimed at dragging him into making negative reactions, they said in reference to the FPM leader’s accusations of the premier-designate and the president of obstructing the cabinet formation.
“Pouring oil on fire won’t affect Miqati’s mission,” the sources added.
Suleiman’s circles, meanwhile, stressed that the interior ministry obstacle was not the only hindrance to the cabinet formation. There are divisions among involved parties on the telecommunications, health, energy and information ministries as well, they told As Safir.
An Nahar said that in addition to the differences on the portfolios, there was also disagreement on the representative of the former Sunni opposition.
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