Aoun Rejects Giving President Two Key Christian Cabinet Seats
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has rejected giving the President two key Christian seats in the new cabinet.
"We do not accept giving the President two sovereign Christian portfolios, because acceptance of that would be neutralizing the Christian decision inside the government," Aoun told his Orange television late Saturday.
"Therefore, the neutral, consensus President should choose between the interior and defense ministries," Aoun added. "In both cases, what is needed is a Christian-Muslim balance in the President”s portfolios so that there would be a balance inside the government."
"When the President is being (given control over the allocation) of two sovereign portfolios, then one (post) should go to the Christians and the other to the Muslims," Aoun said.
He was responding to remarks made by Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora earlier Saturday.
Aoun said that the two other cabinet posts should be divided up equally between the opposition and the majority.
Saniora on Saturday said "national and security needs require that President Michel Suleiman names the defense and interior ministers."
Saniora said the new cabinet would "eventually be formed. Every day we face a small obstacle and we overcome it."
Picture: General Michel Aoun waves upon his arrival in parliament in Beirut. (AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI)