Report: Safadi Seeking Independent Political Route through Attacking Miqati

Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi’s campaign against Prime Minister Najib Miqati is the minister’s attempt to take an independent course from his ally, reported al-Liwaa newspaper on Saturday.

Informed political sources told the newspaper that Safadi is trying to take a different approach on political developments in an attempt perhaps to improve his chances of assuming the premiership “should the March 8 camp decide to topple the government.”

They added that what the minister revealed about Miqati on Thursday was but the “tip of the iceberg”.

Safadi had launched a scathing attack against the prime minister on Thursday, whom he said had accused him of seeking to take commissions in the deal to lease power-generating vessels.

The minister challenged Miqati, telling LBC’s Kalam al-Nass talk show that the premier should remove him from his post if any investigation proved that he had been seeking a commission.

Miqati began spreading rumors “that I want to take commissions from the (deal) of vessels and has proof on that,” the finance minister said. “He even said it to everyone including Speaker Nabih Berri and (Progressive Socialist Party leader) Walid Jumblat.”

The sources added: “Should the minister deem it necessary, he would hold a press conference that would expose all the details of the violations committed by Miqati.”

They added however that the debate over the leasing of the power-generating ships was not the only dispute between the minister and premier, but it served however to “push the tense ties between them to a crisis.”

Other disputes centered on the state budget, development projects for the northern city of Tripoli, and others, they said.