Geagea: A sin cannot be corrected with another

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Wednesday that the lack of a new Lebanese cabinet “is a grave sin.”

Commenting on Speaker Nabih Berri’s recent request to hold a parliamentary session before a new government is formed, Geagea said in a statement

“This grave sin cannot be corrected with another sin, which is to convene parliament before the government is formed, because the constitution does not allow it,” Geagea said, according to a statement issued by his office.

Geagea also said that the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition should form a cabinet “that at least takes care of the people’s needs if it cannot form a government comprising technocrats or politicians.”

March 14 parties questioned Speaker Berri’s call for holding a parliamentary session before a new government is formed.

The Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah brought down PM Saad Hariri’s government on January 12 over STL’s imminent indictment which is widely expected to implicate Hezbollah members in the assassination of the father of caretaker PM

Lebanon has been run by a caretaker government since last January. Nagib Mikati was appointed in January as the PM designate with the backing of the new March 8 majority led by Hezbollah. March 14 leaders have repeatedly said that intimidation from Hezbollah’s weapons helped secure the parliamentary majority for Mikati’s nomination.

Disputes over cabinet formation have prevented Mikati from forming the cabinet. MP Michel Aoun is reportedly demanding a disproportionate share in the cabinet and is being backed by Hezbollah and Syria in his demands . Aoun is also reportedly insisting on being allocated the 2 most sensitive security portfolios : The ministries of Interior and communications and does not want the president to have any share in the cabinet . Aoun is also insisting that the president should not have a share in the cabinet