Bassil says against 'isolating' Shiites or 'favoring' them

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has noted that the FPM supports the principle of rotating ministerial portfolios.

“No component or group should monopolize any ministry, and we’re specifically against perpetuating the allocation of the finance portfolio to the Shiite community, especially in light of the bad practices we have witnessed,” Bassil said at a press conference.

“The FPM is against isolating or targeting any component, specifically Shiites, or making them feel that there’s an attempt to make them lose politically as an outcome of the (latest) war (with Israel), but this does not mean favoring them over others in nominations or giving them what’s not being given to others as a compensation to them,” Bassil added.

As for the concerns that the FPM might join Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, the Marada Movement and the Tashnag Party to wield a one-third-plus-one veto power in cabinet, Bassil said: “We are not allies of the Shiite Duo to work with them on toppling the government, and we’re also not allies with what’s left of the opposition to work with it on that.”

“We are not allies with anyone and we are not enemies with anyone,” he stressed.