Cabinet formation in Lebanon hits first snag
Main Christian parties at loggerheads over distribution of seats in governing body
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Less than one month after parliamentary elections were held, a simmering crisis is underway within the Christian community of Lebanon, between the Lebanese Forces (LF) of Samir Geagea and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) of President Michel Aoun, headed presently by his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil.
For decades, the president of the republic was entitled to name one minister in any government formation, accepted by all parties as his “share” of the cabinet.
This time, however, Aoun, in his capacity as both president of the country and president of the FPM bloc, gets to name two ministers which would exaggerate his power in the cabinet at the expense of the Lebanese Forces.
In the current caretaker cabinet, the FPM hold eight portfolios: defence, foreign, environment, justice, presidential affairs, combating corruption, economy and energy. LF have only three: deputy prime minister, information and social affairs.
Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil, who also happens to be Aoun’s son-in-law, wants ■ to keep the party’s eight portfolios and get one seat from LF as he cannot take seats reserved for Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri’s Future Movement.
The division of power is very delicate in Lebanon, with certain posts traditionally reserved for certain sects.
The Sunnis have held the premiership since 1943 and several posts affiliated with it, like the Ministry of Interior.
Likewise Shiites get the speakership of parliament, and for nearly 30 years, they have also handled the ministry of finance, making it impossible for the seat to go to anyone else.
Commenting on the issue, Hilal Khashan, a veteran professor of political science at the American University of Beirut, tells Gulf News: “It is actually Bassil who is insisting on getting the extra seats. He appears to be grooming himself to succeed Aoun and his goal is to monopolise Christian representation.”
“Bassil is acting tough because he wants to create a new political reality. This intransigence can only delay the formation of the cabinet given it cannot be formed without accommodating the LF.”
Last week, parliament speaker Nabi Berri said that he anticipated a cabinet in less than a month because all parties had a vested interest to do so, but the latest development throws that prediction into doubt.