Let Hariri Appoint Any Election Loser
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said Tuesday that he did not mind if the PM-designate appointed a candidate that had lost the elections adding he was cooperating with Saad Hariri to form a strong government.
"Let Hariri appoint any election loser from his team … We are a victorious party" anyhow, Aoun said following a meeting with MPs Suleiman Franjieh, Talal Arslan, Minister Elias Skaff and Tashnag Secretary-General Hovig Mekhitarian.
The top Change and Reform Bloc members met in Rabiyeh to prepare for the second round of talks with Hariri.
Aoun said he will meet again with the PM-designate at 12:00 pm Thursday.
"During our first meeting, Hariri asked us questions. We will ask him questions too," Aoun told reporters.
He criticized the description of the consultations as "non-binding," saying the talks between Hariri and lawmakers are types of negotiations that could either lead to a solution or deadlock.
"In case we don”t reach understanding … the government won”t be a cabinet of national unity," he said.
The FPM leader added that his bloc was cooperating with the PM-designate to form a strong and balanced cabinet. "This cannot be achieved unless laws and the constitution are respected."
Turning to the meeting between Syrian President Bashar Assad and Saudi King Abdullah, Aoun said: "No matter what its nature was, it wouldn”t solve our internal problems."
The MP finally denied his team was behind the problem of the telecommunications portfolio and slammed what he called "mafia" like ways to govern the country.