If Lebanese Forces' presence in government becomes unnecessary

Information Minister Melhem Riachi said Sunday that if the Lebanese Forces Party's presence within the cabinet becomes unnecessary, then it would resign.

Riachi denied, however, any written resignation by LF's cabinet ministers contrary to certain rumors, saying, "Nothing warrants our resignation thus far, but if circumstances entail said resignation, it shall be written."

In an interview to "MTV" Channel Station, the Minister referred to LF's opposing positions and reservations towards particular dossiers within cabinet, most prominent of which is the electricity issue.

"We do not accuse anyone nor do we question anyone's credibility, but we have our approach to governance which we exercise as need be," Riachi emphasized.

Responding to a question regarding LF's refusal to be part of the ministerial committee in charge of the electricity tender, Riachi noted that there was "a discussion, not a debate" over the matter.

He added: "Prime Minister Hariri is an ally and we stood at length with him, discussing the issue in depth. He was very understanding of the Lebanese Forces' position and considered our opinion; otherwise, the electricity dossier would not have been transferred to the tenders' department for further study."

"We were the spearhead in this matter," asserted Riachi.

Over the Lebanese Television board of directors' dossier, Riachi indicated that "this file has been at the Cabinet's General Secretariat's disposal for more than three months, be it the three proposed names to chair the board of directors according to the institutional mechanism that I have adopted or the board members as proposed by the Minister of Information."

"The Prime Minister has promised to include this dossier on the Council of Ministers' agenda for next Thursday," he added.

Responding to a question regarding the current mandate, Riachi said, "We have achieved three main points in the election of President Michel Aoun: First, we have overcome the vacuum period and the possibility of Lebanon's dissolution at a dangerous time in the region. Second, we reconciled with the Christian conscience by healing the wounds permanently, which is a historic achievement that ensures a promising future for Lebanon. Third, was the strategic balance between the Christian and Muslim partners in the country, which restored the balance of power."

Over the possibility of running in the parliamentary elections, Riachi stated that he did not intend to be a candidate in said elections. He noted, however, "If the Party leader decides that my candidacy is within the interests of the Lebanese Forces, I will run

Source: NNA