Aoun Denies Obstructing Govt Formation, Accuses Suleiman of Crippling Institutions

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday denied that he was behind the delay in forming the new cabinet, accusing President Michel Suleiman of “crippling governance and state institutions.”

Briefing reporters after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, Aoun said that “whatever the shape of the new cabinet may be, it remains the cabinet of the new majority.”

“That’s why we should not act against ourselves. Everyone must realize that this cabinet is being formed by parties belonging to the same camp,” he added.

“There’s nothing new concerning the cabinet formation process and we are hearing ambiguous remarks about the subject. If they want technocrats, we have qualified candidates,” Aoun went on to say.

He stressed that Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati still enjoys the FPM’s trust.

Addressing the latest alleged WikiLeaks cables published by Al-Akhbar newspaper about supposed meetings between U.S. diplomats and FPM officials, Aoun said: “I bore full responsibility for my alliance with Hizbullah and I succeeded and we did not incite against anyone during the July 2006 war.”

“We did not join an electoral coalition to win the parliamentary majority and then betray our allies like the Mustaqbal Movement did,” Aoun said of the infamous quadrilateral electoral coalition that comprised Mustaqbal Movement, Progressive Socialist Party, Hizbullah and AMAL Movement during the 2005 parliamentary elections.

Aoun also slammed the rally organized by the March 14 forces to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the Cedar Revolution.

“Under which constitution are you organizing rallies for the sake of power? If you want the law of force, we are ready and no one can blame us,” Aoun said.

On the other hand, he noted that his meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Monday was aimed at evaluating the regional situations.

“Because they are of concern to us,” Aoun told reporters.