Industry Minister: Government Won't Explode, Lebanese Forces Insist on Internal Correction

Minister of Industry Joe Issa El-Khoury confirmed that "the government will not explode from within," and that "the Lebanese Forces are staying in it and are determined to correct the situation from inside," revealing that "most ministers think in the same way, but they are forced to comply with orders from the parties they represent."

In an interview with "Independent Arabic," he opined that the ministers of the duo, namely the "Amal" Movement and "Hezbollah," would not withdraw either, citing the session on March 2nd, when the party's ministers remained in the hall despite the approval of the decision banning its military and security activities.

El-Khoury argued that "the root of the problem lies in the mistake of involving the head of the legislative authority in decisions of the executive authority, namely Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, which should be in the hands of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, not the other way around."

He clarified that "the Lebanese Forces take their opposition stances after the Council of Ministers, which is supposed to be the political authority managing the country, turned into something resembling a municipal council in addition to a presidential triad formerly known as the Troika."

El-Khoury added: "Matters cannot continue in this manner, where fundamental issues are not discussed within the Council of Ministers, but come cooked up from outside by agreement between the three presidents, while their affiliated ministers remain silent."

He mentioned that Berri "monopolizes today the decisions of the legislative authority, and at the same time holds a 'veto' over the executive authority, and this is his power after he became the 'swing vote,' placing 'Hezbollah' on his right and presenting himself as a mediator between the party and anyone who wants to communicate with him."