BEIRUT: The distribution of ministerial portfolios made little headway on Wednesday as cabinet discussions were halted after Tuesday’s rejection of Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s proposal to the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). Meanwhile, the Council of Maronite Bishops’ monthly meeting endorsed Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir’s latest remarks on the political conditions in the country, which was followed later in the day by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s accusation that the patriarch were protecting corrupt individuals. 

The Maronite Bishops’ Council said Wednesday it adopted Sfeir’s stances as its own with regard to Lebanon’s political issues. 

Sfeir said last week the minority and majority could not coexist in the same cabinet, adding that the issue of “weapons” is a pivotal concern that cannot be faced with silence, a reference to Hizbullah and the resistance. 

“The role of the Maronite Patriarchate is renowned and whether directives stem from the patriarch personally, or the Council of Bishops, they express the same opinion,” said the council statement. 

Following its monthly meeting at Bkirki, the Council issued a statement saying Lebanon’s failure to form a cabinet after four months of deliberations signaled lack of responsibility on the part of politicians. The statement added that such delays might have serious ramifications for the country. 

“Loyalty to Lebanon necessitates looking after its national interests, rather than that of other states,” the statement said. 

The bishops also slammed the exchange of harsh verbal attacks between political parties as they called groups to remain open to and accepting of one another.

For his part, Aoun accused Sfeir for “protecting corrupt people” and “standing by corruption.” He also took issue with Sfeir for highlighting the issue of Hizbullah’s weapons in his speech. 

“When were you harmed by [Hizbullah’s] weapons, so that I can support you?” Aoun asked, in reference to Sfeir’s statement that weapons and democracy could not coexist. 

Aoun said Sfeir needed to choose between “living freely in Lebanon with [Hizbullah’s] arms or as refugee outside of the country.” 

The Secretariat General of March 14 stressed that the patriarch’s statement reflected an “ethical and patriotic vision” of Lebanon as well as the patriarchy’s devotion to preserving the country’s independence and sovereignty. 

March 14 also urged the prompt formation of a cabinet in order to preserve Lebanon’s security as well as the proper performance of the country’s constitutional institutions. 

“Hariri’s openness toward all parties should allow him to form the cabinet,” the statement issued following the secretariat’s weekly meeting said. 

The attendants urged for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 as they stressed the need to restrict the possession of arms to state authorities. 

Separately, Baalbek-Hermel MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said the cabinet formation was facing domestic rather than foreign obstacles as two or three complications remained with regard to the distribution of portfolios, a reference to Aoun’s disputed share of portfolios. 

“The external factors that impeded the cabinet formation have perhaps faded away, while domestic problems still hamper the process,” said Hajj Hassan, a Hizbullah official. 

Hajj Hassan added that he was unaware of any meeting Tuesday night between caretaker Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil and Hizbullah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. 

The MP added that deliberations were ongoing in order to reach an agreement over the cabinet line-up that is acceptable by all parties. 

Hariri submitted a proposal to Aoun granting the Reform and Change bloc the telecommunications, energy, culture and tourism ministries that was rejected by the FPM leader. 

“We demand that the Reform and Change bloc retain its current share of portfolios; otherwise the principle of rotating ministerial portfolios should be applied to all parties,” FPM official and caretaker Social Affairs Minister Mario Aoun told The Daily Star on Tuesday. 

Aoun added that the Culture and Tourism ministries which are being offered by Hariri were not of equal weight to that of the social affairs and agriculture portfolios. 

The Reform and Change bloc currently holds the telecommunications, energy, social affairs and agriculture portfolio along with a state ministry. 

The FPM is reportedly demanding the Economy Ministry along with the telecommunications and energy portfolios. 

“Deliberations are ongoing and what happens during the day is changing at night,” the FPM leader said Wednesday. 

Aoun denied any dispute between him and Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh over the cabinet lineup, adding that they deliberate together to take the most appropriate stance.

On Sunday night, Franjieh relayed Hariri’s proposal to Aoun as part of his efforts to solve the cabinet impasse. 

Franjieh said last week that he was relinquishing his demand for a ministerial portfolio and settled for a ministry of state as part of the Reform and Change in order to facilitate the cabinet formation. 

As for the naming of Bassil to retain the telecommunications portfolio, Aoun said that his son-in-law would be nominated as minister, but not necessarily in the same post. 

“The FPM decides on the prospective ministerial candidates once its share of portfolios is determined, since candidates are appointed in ministries in accordance with their qualifications,” Aoun said, adding that his party alone was entitled to decide upon the names of its ministers. 

“March 14 and the Future Movement have set down restrictions on the FPM in a precedent, in which ne group imposes conditions on another group it’s prepared to cooperate with,” Aoun said. 

On the other side of the political divide, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused the opposition of hampering the cabinet formation by refusing to comply with the June 7 elections results, adding that opposition groups did not want the establishment of a strong state with functioning constitutional institutions. 

Also, Batroun MP and LF official Antoine Zahra slammed Hizbullah for obstructing the cabinet formation, adding that the party was orchestrating the opposition’s moves. 

Similarly, March 14 and Batroun MP Boutros Harb said on Wednesday Aoun’s statement that Hizbullah would only use its weapons domestically in case of self-defense was open to several interpretations. Harb added that that the majority was forced, contrary to democratic principles, to grant the opposition veto power in the next cabinet out of fear of new May 7 events.