BEIRUT: A war of words flared Monday between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on the sidelines of the Cabinet crisis, further heightening political tension in the country.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has so far refrained from mediating in the Cabinet dispute, has criticized both Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas over their handling of the crisis.

Siniora lashed out at Aoun, who had accused him of involvement in a series of scandals and alleged financial wrongdoings when he served first as finance minister and later as prime minister from 1993 to 2011.

“It is preferred not to respond to insults because responding will satisfy him [the insulting person]. Silence is the best answer,” Siniora said in a terse statement, citing a line of poetry.

In an interview with Al-Jadeed TV Sunday night, Aoun said: “Siniora must not speak. Let him tell us where did the gifts and the outstanding treasury loans go? He [Siniora] does not have any of the qualities of a statesman and is facing several files. We are ready to go with him to court. Scandals are in his head and his presence is in itself a scandal.”

Aoun was apparently responding to Siniora who accused the government in an interview with An-Nahar newspaper of spreading “misery and failure” in the country.

Aoun Monday hit back at Siniora, who is the head of the parliamentary Future bloc of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

“We advise [former] Prime Minister Siniora not to delve into old poetry books because poems will not be useful before an investigating magistrate. What is useful there is documents,” Aoun said.

“We further advise him to use his time in preparing for his defense instead of wasting his time in hollow remarks which will not protect him in court,” he added.

Aoun and Future MPs had in the past accused each other of corruption and abuse of power.

The war of words between Aoun and Siniora, who belong to the rival political camps of March 8 and March 14 parties, came as the government crisis marked time with no solution in sight to resume the Cabinet’s sessions.

Mikati suspended the Cabinet’s sessions on Feb. 1 following a dispute with ministers from Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc over appointments of Christians to key posts in the public administration. Mikati has signaled that Nahhas’ signing of the transportation allowance decree could lead to reviving the Cabinet’s work.

Mikati has implicitly accused Aoun’s ministers of obstructing the Cabinet’s work, saying he will not allow anyone to undermine the prime minister’s prerogatives. He has since said that he will not resume Cabinet sessions before agreement is reached on a formula to make the government productive.

Nahhas, a member of Aoun’s bloc, has refused to sign the decree contending that it should be made legal first by Parliament.

Aoun warned Sunday that any attempt to replace or dismiss Nahhas would lead to the downfall of the already divided Cabinet. Aoun was apparently responding to President Michel Sleiman who said that Nahhas must sign the transportation allowance decree or else he should be replaced.

Meanwhile, Berri blamed both Mikati and Nahhas for the crisis.

“I will stick to my stance. I will not take part in mediation efforts to [solve] the government crisis because Mikati’s decision to suspend Cabinet sessions is unjustified,” Berri said in remarks published by As-Safir newspaper.

Berri also slammed Nahhas for his refusal to sign a bill concerning transportation allowances. As-Safir cited visitors who met with Berri as revealing that he said Nahhas’ refusal to sign the transportation allowance decree is a violation of the institution of the Cabinet.