'Strong Lebanon' Threatens to 'Voice a Different Stance' if No Govt. This Week

The Free Patriotic Movement-led Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc warned Tuesday that it would “voice a different stance next week” should the government formation deadlock continue.

“We are full of hope to see the government being formed this week,” caretaker Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil said after the bloc's weekly meeting.

“All the work has been accomplished within FPM chief Jebran Bassil's initiative, which is based on clear ideas and respects the standards of correct representation,” Abi Khalil added.

“We believe that amid the clear ideas that have specified clear conditions for representation and mutual concessions, the government can be formed this week, and if after all this work the government is not formed this week, we will voice a different stance next week, because it would become clear that there is an intention to block the formation process,” the minister warned.

The issue of representing the Hizbullah-backed Consultative Gathering, a grouping of six Sunni MPs, has delayed the formation of the government for several months now. Previous disagreements over Christian and Druze representation had also hindered the formation process.