Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun warned on Sunday that any attempt to replace or dismiss Labour Minister Charbel Nahhas would lead to the collapse of the already divided Cabinet , adding that there is a "diabolical alliance” between Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Suleiman.
“Charbel Nahhas is part of a bloc. If Charbel Nahhas is touched, the entire Cabinet will be brought down,” Aoun said in an interview with Al-Jadeed TV. He said that if Nahhas – one of 10 ministers in Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc – had made mistakes, it would not have been accepted. “We abide by our laws,” said Aoun.
Aoun accused Suleiman and Mikati of teaming up in Cabinet to obstruct his ministers’ plans. “The president is playing the ministers’ role in supporting the prime minister. There is a diabolical alliance between Suleiman and Mikati to stand against us,” Aoun said.
He described the campaign launched against Nahhas as “fabrications.”
Aoun was apparently responding to Suleiman, who said that Nahhas must sign the transportation allowance decree, otherwise he would be replaced.
Mikati – who suspended the Cabinet’s sessions on February 1 following sharp differences with ministers from Aoun’s bloc over the thorny issue of civil service appointments – signaled that if Nahhas signed the transportation allowance decree it could lead to the resumption of the sessions.
Nahhas – who has refused to sign the decree arguing that it should first be made legal by Parliament – hit back at Suleiman. “I will not sign [the decree] even if 29 ministers agree to dismiss me. Anyone who can dismiss me, let them try,” Nahhas said Saturday.
In January, the Lebanese cabinet approved a wage hike decree while the transportation and education allowances remain the contention point as Nahhas was tasked by the government to prepare a draft law and refer it to the parliament for adoption, allowing the government to set the minimum rates for transportation and education allowances, thus “legalising” them.
The minister argues that he will not sign any transportation allowance decision as it should be included in the salary in order to legalise it, but when the matter was subject to vote at the cabinet; his proposal won the support of 10 ministers while 19 voted against it.
Aoun also brought up Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s statements contradicting the Syrian regime and the FPM.
“We know that those who change their positions can do so only verbally and not practically.”
Commenting on the situation in Syria, Aoun said that “Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is not fighting saints.”
“Half of oil money [profits in the world] are [funding] this war [against the regime], and there are a lot of munitions and soldiers from all over the world coming to Syria to participate in it.”
He also said that people who want reform in Syria “are not yet ready for the rule of Salafists in the country.”
“I support Assad because he is capable of carrying on, and because he will not take us 1400 years back in the past,” he added.
The UN says more than 6,000 people have been killed in the crackdown on Syrian protesters who have been demonstrating against the Baath regime since mid-March.
Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah, and the March 14 camp.