Hussein denied his appointment was a reward for toppling Hariri’s cabinet

Former minister Adnan as-Sayyed Hussein who was recently appointed as the new Lebanese University President said on Thursday that “he was appointed because of his competence.”

“Everything gets politicized in Lebanon, and it is normal that critics find something to accuse me of,” Hussein told MTV television.

Hussein also refused to admit that he was appointed as the Lebanese University president “as a reward for his resignation from the government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.”

Public Works and Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi, explained on Thursday why the Progressive Socialist Party ministers in the cabinet, had reservations about the appointment Hussein as the new president of the Lebanese University.

“There were five candidates for the Lebanese University presidency, with Sayyed Hussein and Dr. Zeinab Saad having served the same number of years. The difference between the two is that Dr. Saad is more qualified since she speaks three languages while Hussein speaks only Arabic,” National News Agency NNA quoted Aridi as saying.

Hussein was reportedly promised the position last January when he helped Hezbollah in bringing down the government of former PM Saad Hariri .

Hussein , a Shiite who represented Lebanese president Michel Suleiman in the former government had the decisive vote in the collapse of the cabinet. Hezbollah and its allies had 10 votes in the former cabinet and needed 11 to topple the government.

Hezbollah brought down Hariri’s government on January 12 over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s ( STL) indictment which was widely expected to implicate Hezbollah members in the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri in 2005.

Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the UN-backed STL, however, the Shiite group denied the charges and refused to cooperate with the court.

Najib Mikati was then appointed as new PM following his nomination by the Hezbollah led March 8 parties.

The Progressive Socialist Party is headed up by MP Walid Jumblatt who defected from March 14 reportedly after threats on his life by Hezbollah