Aoun says told Mikati to 'return in evening' if govt. 'equality' ensured

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday stressed that “implementing unified standards in the formation of the government is the right gateway for producing an active government that can run the country’s affairs.”

“What’s currently happening contradicts with the principle of the unity of standards, seeing as the parties taking part in the government are the ones naming their ministers, but when the Free Patriotic Movement’s turn comes in the naming process, they (Mikati) insist on interference and picking the ministers instead of the political party concerned,” Aoun lamented, in a chat with journalists at the Baabda Palace.

“This is not normal and it cannot be accepted. When each party wants to picks its ministers, others must accept the implementation of a single standard on everyone instead of objecting,” the President added.

As for the impending presidential void, Aoun said that the caretaker cabinet “will have incomplete jurisdiction, and accordingly it cannot practice the full powers of the president.”

“Resolving the matters is very simple and today I asked PM Mikati to ensure equality among everyone in the formation process and to return in the evening to the Baabda Palace to issue the (cabinet formation) decrees,” the President added.