Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday hit out at ex-PM Saad Hariri and proposed a constitutional amendment related to the designation of premiers and the formation of cabinets.
“He who wants to head a government of specialists must be the first specialist or must make way for a specialist. And he who wants to head a government of politicians has the right to do so if he is the first politician, while he who likes to mix between both must know how to do the mixture, but without outsmarting attempts and media bravados,” Bassil said in a speech marking the anniversary of President Michel Aoun’s ouster from the Baabda Palace as the head of a military government on October 13, 1990.
Criticizing both Hariri and the club of ex-PMs as well as the Shiite duo over the failure to form a government after Mustafa Adib’s designation as PM, Bassil said a camp sought to “seize a ministerial portfolio in breach of norms and the Constitution” as another tried to “monopolize all ministerial portfolios in breach of all norms and without possessing any parliamentary or National Pact-related majority.”
He added: “The clash over power and fear of the other is big to the extent that the two camps are willing to torpedo the chance to rescue the country in return for making the gain of preserving their positions in the system.”
He also stressed that the “ultimate priority” today is to “stop the financial and economic collapse and form a government that would accomplish this mission and prevent the descent of the country into chaos and sedition.”
Separately, Bassil said the Strong Lebanon bloc will propose a constitutional amendment that would grant the president of the republic a one-month deadline to call for consultations to name a new PM and a similar deadline to the PM-designate to form a cabinet.
“There is no possibility to continue living with this rancid and rotten constitution which was imposed on us through tanks. It exhausted us through corruption and now it wants to end us through paralysis and slow death!” Bassil said.
“Constitutions can be amended, especially if they generate problems instead of solutions. There is a mechanism to amend and improve our constitution without wars but rather through understanding!” he added.
The FPM chief also lashed out at the Lebanese Forces in connection with the October 17, 2019 uprising and some security incidents.
“There is a security problem because we started witnessing scenes of security chaos after October 17,” Bassil said.
“We witnessed systematic blocking of roads, deployment operations, paramilitary marches and threatening messages all the way to the Mirna Chalouhi (standoff between supporters of the LF and the FPM),” Bassil added.
“Seizing control of our society through force is prohibited! There is no problem in doing so through peaceful means and democracy,” the FPM chief went on to say, addressing the LF.
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: We do not want federalism, not because it means partitioning, but rather because it is an advanced format for governance for which our societies are not ready yet.
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: The ultimate priority today is for stopping the financial and economic collapse and forming a government that would accomplish this mission and prevent the descent of the country into chaos and sedition.
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: There is no possibility to continue living with this rancid and rotten constitution which was imposed on us through tanks. It exhausted us through corruption and now it wants to end us through paralysis and slow death!
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: Constitutions can be amended, especially if they generate problems instead of solutions. There is a mechanism to amend and improve our constitution without wars but rather through understanding!
- 11 hours ago
Bassil proposed a constitutional amendment giving the president a 1-month deadline to call for consultations and a similar deadline to the PM to form a cabinet.
- 11 hours ago
Bassil said he who wants to head a government of specialists and politicians must know how to “do the mixture without outsmarting attempts and media bravados.”
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: Seizing control of our society through force is prohibited! There is no problem in doing so through peaceful means and democracy.
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: We witnessed systematic blocking of roads, deployment operations, paramilitary marches and threatening messages all the way to the Mirna Chalouhi (standoff with LF supporters.)
- 11 hours ago
Bassil: There is a security problem because we started witnessing scenes of security chaos after October 17 (2019).
- 12 hours ago
Bassil: We have been experiencing the same domestic equation in our society since 1990! Our concern is to rescue the country and their concern is to eradicate us.
- 12 hours ago
Bassil: We persevere and triumph through political resistance but we think twice when there is an economic confrontation, not because we have grown weaker but rather because our people have weakened and are not able to bear the financial pressures.
- 12 hours ago
Bassil: Today the weapon is the dollar, and the dollar is not in our hand but rather in the hand of those who print it. This is our point of weakness and they know it and are exploiting it.
- 12 hours ago
Bassil: There is an economic and financial confrontation aimed at subjugating the country and the people.
- 12 hours ago
Bassil: We are at the heart of the equation that protects Lebanon and your threats and sanctions are useless.
- 12 hours ago
Bassil: Last year we warned of an “economic October 13” and they thought that they got rid of us. They still think so and let them keep thinking so!