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BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea threw his weight Friday behind Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adibs proposal to rotate the leadership of four key ministries in the next government, describing the attempts of the Amal Movement to hold on to the Finance Ministry as an act of sabotage.
If the Finance Ministry was with the Shiite duo [Amal and Hezbollah], would it impede reforms? Geagea said in a televised news conference. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. Then the Energy Ministry would remain with the Free Patriotic Movement, and so forth.
The formation of the new government hit the rocks last week after Amal Movement leader Nabih Berri, backed by Hezbollah, categorically rejected Adibs proposal to change the sectarian leadership of the Finance, Interior, Defense and Foreign ministries.
Berri said Sunday that his party would not participate in Adibs government unless the Shiite sect retains the Finance Ministry and its leaders name the minister that takes charge of the coveted portfolio.
All hopes have been thrown into the air because one of them is holding onto the Finance Ministry and [insisting on] naming his ministers ... Why all this delay? We are witnessing a direct act of sabotage on the country and the people have a right to denounce it, Geagea said.
Geagea said that he backed French President Emmanuel Macrons efforts to facilitate the quick formation of a government that will be tasked with leading the country through a series of reforms designed to win the trust of the international community and save the country from outright economic collapse.
France is not here to resolve the Lebanese crisis but to reduce the burden on the Lebanese people ... The equation is simple and what is needed is a government that is different from the past and that can carry out some reforms so that France can invite Lebanons friends to a conference to raise money, Geagea said. Macron stressed continually the necessity that the political class sit together and form a government tasked with rescuing the country.
Lebanese politicians vowed to Macron that they would form a new government within 15 days of his visit to Lebanon at the start of September. The impasse over the Finance Ministry, however, meant that this deadline was missed.
The French were very excited, but unfortunately they are in one place and our community is in another, Geagea said. Our destiny, if the French initiative fails, is further collapse. With no reforms, there is no aid.
Disagreements about the size of the next government have also slowed progress on its formation, with Adib preferring to have a Cabinet of 14 independent specialists. President Michel Aoun, however, is keen to see between 20 to 24 ministers in the incoming government.
Would a government of 14 ministers implement the reforms? Geagea said. I ask, did a government of 30 minister bring about the reforms? There is no relation between the number of ministers and the implementation of reforms.
Berri over the weekend complained that Adib had failed to consult with him about the shape and form of the new government, but Geagea Friday pushed back at such accusations, saying that it is the prerogative of the PM-designate to consult, or not, with whomever he wants on the matter.
The trend has been that the prime minister-designate forms a government and puts forward independent names ... What matters to us is the result. If we find that there are names that do not match that description, we will reject them. It is not permissible, however, for some to say that Adib consulted with one person and not with another, the LF leader said.
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