Hizbullah has denied that it had made promises with regard to the demands of its ally Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun on cabinet portfolios.
Hizbullah”s Deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Thursday that the party expressed its commitment to the 15-10-5 cabinet formula. "We did not make any other promises."
Qassem said Hizbullah cooperated with Premier-designate Saad Hariri to facilitate an agreement on the cabinet formation, adding that it was the Mustaqbal movement leader”s responsibility to coordinate with majority and minority blocs in parliament "to agree with them on their shares and their candidates for the ministries."
"It is not true that there were deals, commitments and promises," the top Hizbullah official reiterated.
Hizbullah sources told An Nahar daily that "it is unacceptable to deal with Hizbullah as a tool to put pressure on Gen. Aoun." "The party will not interfere in the issue of portfolios," they added.
However, officials involved in the cabinet formation process said that Qassem”s new stance means the Shiite party is officially backing off from commitments it made to make all efforts to solve problems that could stem from its allies” demands on distribution of government seats.
The officials added that Qassem”s remarks also contradicted the promises of the Hizbullah leader”s political assistant, Hussein Khalil, to make every effort to facilitate the cabinet formation process.
Al-Mustaqbal daily, meanwhile, said Hizbullah "renounced" its commitment and continued to defend its ally Aoun who insists on bringing back his son-in-law to the government and on his right "to demand for the portfolios that he wants, including key" ministries.