BEIRUT: Telecoms Minister Nicolas Sehnawi rejected MP Bahia Hariri’s comments last week that Beirut was underrepresented within the Cabinet, describing her remarks as an offense to the Christian ministers.

“Hariri’s demand for equality in representation between Beirut and Tripoli … is an offense to 184,000 Beiruti citizens belonging to Christian sects and a blow to the simplest principles of coexistence,” Sehnawi said in a statement released Sunday. 

During her speech in Parliament on the final day of discussions over the policy statement, Hariri said that Beirut should have had better representation in Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet. 

“Beirut deserved two more additional ministers from its districts … eliminating Beirut from the political map is a threat to the political center and a return to division,” Hariri said Thursday.

“It seems that Hariri did not read the Cabinet lineup well and did not notice that there were five ministers from Beirut … these families are no less noble than other Beiruti families and they have participated in building this city’s history and the development of its identity,” Sehnawi said, referring Deputy Prime Minister Samir Mukbel, Education Minister Hassan Diab, Information Minister Walid Daouk, Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas and Sehnawi.

The statement also asked Hariri to publicly apologize for her comments.