The head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, said his party was eyeing the ministry of energy, now run by Free Patriotic Movement’s Minister Cesar Abi Khalil. Geagea’s remarks, which came during a television interview on Thursday, sparked talks about an early battle over the ministerial portfolios in the new government that will be formed following the upcoming parliamentary elections. “We are eyeing the Ministry of Energy in the next government to solve the problem of electricity; because when there is a problem, it is natural that we need the Lebanese Forces,” Geagea said. Abi Khalil was quick to respond on his Twitter Account, telling Geagea without naming him: “Because your great success in your ministries allows you to have such ambition…” Senior sources in the FPM said they were surprised with the early talks about the ministerial portfolios. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources said: “Nothing is finalized in this area, until we have the results of the parliamentary elections and we know the parliamentary share of each bloc; based on these shares, the number and quality of portfolios can be determined for each party.” On the other hand, sources from the Lebanese Forces said the party supported the principle of rotation in the ministries, stressing that such principle must be “comprehensive”. The sources noted in this regard that the Future Movement’s attachment to the ministry of interior would automatically consolidate Amal Movement’s adherence to the ministry of finance. “In other words, we cannot ask the Amal Movement to abandon the finance ministry if the Prime Minister [Saad Hariri] and Interior Minister [Nohad] al-Machnouk remained attached to the interior ministry, which seems clear now, and Minister [Gebran] Bassil is probably sticking to the foreign ministry,” the LF sources stressed. The sources went on to say that Geagea’s remarks about his party assuming the energy portfolio were not a challenge or a provocation. “On the contrary, there are parties constantly repeating that this ministry is burned; therefore, Dr. Geagea declares his party’s readiness to take over this ministry and engage in this area,” the sources remarked.