Dispute over new Lebanese govt. escalates

BEIRUT: The dispute over who will be in charge of the Ministry of Finance in the Lebanese government escalated on Sunday with the end of the deadline to form a government of specialists separate from the parties in power.

The disagreement showed that those who were formerly allies of Hezbollah in power have now become its opponent in forming the government.

The Lebanese are waiting to see whether the prime minister-designate, Mustapha Adib, will go to the presidential palace on Monday to present a draft of his government formation, regardless of the disagreement — or to apologize for not completing the task he was assigned to do on Aug. 31.

In his Sunday sermon, the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai continued his criticism of the insistence of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah in holding on to the finance portfolio.

Rai asked: “In what capacity does a sect claim a certain ministry as if it were its own, and disrupt the formation of the government until it achieves its goal? It thus causes political paralysis and economic, financial and livelihood damage. What has become of the political forces’ agreement for reform: A miniature salvation government, independent specialists with political experience and portfolio rotation?”

Rai referred to the constitution, which stipulated that jobs be divided equally between Christians and Muslims. “Has the constitution been amended suddenly, or are matters imposed by some force or bullying? This is unacceptable.”

Rai called on the prime minister-designate Adib to “abide by the constitution, form a government and not be subject to conditions, nor to delay, or to apologize.”

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) attacked the conditions of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah.

The FPM, which is Hezbollah’s ally in power, also rejected “that one party should dominate all the Lebanese, regardless of their strength.”

In a meeting on Saturday evening, former prime ministers urged Adib to “adhere to his full powers in terms of forming the government as soon as possible, in consultation with the president of the republic and under the ceiling of the rules stipulated in the constitution.”

The former prime ministers said that the French initiative “constitutes an important opportunity that must be exploited by expediting the formation of the government to keep Lebanon away from collapse, seditions and evils surrounding it.”

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on Lebanon on Sunday to “distance itself from regional conflicts and to accelerate the formation of a government on constitutional grounds.”

The spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, Agnes von der Mol, regretted “the Lebanese politicians’ failure to abide by the pledges they made on the first of September, in accordance with the announced timeframe.” She urged “all the Lebanese forces to fulfil their responsibilities and agree without delay to the formation nominated by Mustapha Adib for a missionary government capable of implementing the reforms necessary to fulfill the aspirations of the Lebanese people.”

As politicians continued to wrangle over power, the Lebanese Army and Maritime Rescue Units in the Civil Defense recovered the bodies of Lebanese migrants who had died during a boat journey destined for Cyprus.

The boat set off on Sept. 7 from Burj Beach in northern Lebanon with 50 people on board, although it could only accommodate 30 people. The boat stopped hours after sailing and the passengers were told that the boat’s fuel had run out. They were abandoned and their food, drink and mobile phones were taken. The boat was cut off from the world for five days.

The body of a child, Mohammed Nazir Mohammed, who was 20 months old, was found on the beach of Batroun, and the child’s grandfather recognized the body of his grandson. His son had told him that he had shrouded his child in black jeans and a white belt before throwing him into the sea two days after his death.

The body of Mohammed Hassan Assaf was also found off the beach of Sarafand, and another body was recovered off the coast of Zouk. There are still nine people missing.

The Internal Security Forces in Tripoli subsequently arrested a man called Burhan Q. “for being one of those who took money as a mediator between migrants and smugglers on the death boat.”