A state of political contradiction prevails over the approach of the leadership of the “Lebanese Forces” party to the file of the Minister of Energy and Water, Joe Seddi, following the discrepancy in the party’s official discourse between threatening resignation and accusing the “Free Patriotic Movement” of seeking to dismiss him.
In the details, the “Lebanese Forces” moved from threatening the danger of the resignation option, which it owns and controls, to placing the minister in the circle of being targeted by a political opponent outside the government, which raised questions about the seriousness of the threat of resignation and whether it was merely a pressure tool to redraw the balances within the government, in addition to the strangeness of accusing the “Free Patriotic Movement” of seeking to dismiss a minister whom the latter does not have the authority to appoint or replace.
While the “Forces” prepared public opinion for the possibility of change before placing the responsibility for that on its political opponents, Minister Joe Seddi now faces a complex situation that makes him threatened with resignation from his party and targeted for removal from the opposition at the same time.
The Ministry of Energy is acquiring sensitive dimensions due to its connection to the electricity crisis, the inflation of the cost of fuel, and the accumulation of financial and administrative files. This makes it imperative that any potential ministerial reshuffle be based on an objective assessment of performance and the work project, away from calculations of influence and the volatility of partisan discourses.
In this context, the Free Patriotic Movement, as an opposition force, remains the constitutional right to question the minister and criticize his performance, while the decision to nominate or withdraw remains limited to the named political party and the forces participating in the executive authority.
In the face of this scene, political circles are calling on the Lebanese Forces to take a decisive and clear position regarding sticking to Minister Joe Seddi and his legitimacy or replacing him, considering that the duality between threatening to resign and accusing other parties of trying to dismiss reflects political confusion in dealing with a vital sector that can no longer tolerate maneuvers.
