I am Proud of Bassil, We Want a Key Ministry in Addition to Telecommunications Portfolio
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun said Monday he was proud of his son-in-law Jebran Bassil and stressed that he wanted a key cabinet portfolio in addition to the telecommunications ministry.
"I am proud of him (Bassil) as an FPM activist since 1999, as my son-in-law and as a minister," Aoun told a press conference in Rabiyeh.
He also described campaigns against Bassil as part of attempts to make people forget about the country”s debt "that will increase to 58 billion dollars" and about the lack of a program to strengthen the country.
He defended Bassil by saying that his son-in-law "obstructed" among other things the "mafias" of pre-paid mobile phone card trafficking, of illegal wiretapping and of illegal international phone calls.
The FPM leader said Bassil improved mobile phone services, as the number of users rose from 1,200,000 to 2,200,000 people. Internet services also improved as a result of the minister”s work, according to Aoun.
He accused the majority of slamming him and Bassil as the "obstruction" to cabinet formation for suffering a blow from Druze leader Walid Jumblat”s latest stance.
Aoun said that following Jumblat”s withdrawal from the March 14 forces "there is no longer a majority in the country … No matter how the government is formed, the majority will become a minority."
He told reporters to consider the new cabinet formula currently as 12-10-5 rather than 15-10-5. He said the FPM was asking for the key interior ministry in addition to the telecommunications portfolio.