Free patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun told Al-Manar television on Saturday: “We are still fighting for the Ministry of Interior to be granted to our bloc,”
Aoun said that caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud “has not been able to do the job and that anyone from their bloc would be able to carry out reforms if granted the Interior Ministry portfolio”.
Al-Hayat newspaper quoted some March 8 sources as saying in remarks published on Thursday that consultations between PM-designate Najib Mikati and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun through the mediation of Hezbollah led to a ” partial agreement l.”
Aoun reportedly agreed to share 10 ministerial portfolios with his allies the Marada movement and the Tashnag party . One state ministerial portfolio is included in the share .
An agreement has reportedly also been reached over who shouldn’t get the ministry interior :
“Neither Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud , nor FPM”.
Baroud was hailed after the 2009 elections as one of the best ministers of Interior Lebanon has ever had . Even Aoun praised him.
Lebanon has been run by a caretaker government since last January. Mikati was appointed in January as the PM designate with the backing of the Hezbollah led-March 8 alliance, MPs Walid Jumblatt and Mohammad Safadi . March 14 leaders have repeatedly said that intimidation from Hezbollah’s weapons helped secure the parliamentary majority for Mikati’s nomination
Mikati until now he has not been able to form a cabinet. MP Michel Aoun’s demand that he should receive a blocking third of cabinet seats, including the Interior Ministry , currently part of President Michel Suleiman’s cabinet share has reportedly been the main reason behind the delay in cabinet formation.
One analyst told Ya Libnan: “The Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance is acting like ‘Ali Baba and the forty thieves’ and wondered how can a coalition of this sort govern the country if it can’t even form a cabinet .”
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