Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil believed it was "not normal" for Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to be represented in the government or the Lebanese army.

"We don't want anyone jeopardizing our relationship with the spiritual authority – meaning Bkirki and the Patriarch," Bassil said in remarks published by the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

"Yet, we, ministers, want to exercise our role and we will not give it to anyone else," Bassil warned.

He said that he "does not mind" postponing the appointment of the new army commander for one week if his selection "is not ripe yet."

Bassil denied that the Free Patriotic Movement favored any army commander candidate over the other, insisting it was the President's pick for the post.