The legislative session today, Tuesday, in the House of Representatives building in Nejmeh Square, was not without problems created by a number of deputies to obstruct the course of the session.
In this context, a major dispute arose between the Amal Movement deputies and the new deputies during the session, once morest the background of MP Halima Kaakour’s abuse of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri following her attempt to boycott the vote on the first item, demanding a talk of order. Boycotting voting or expressing any opinion during voting on laws.
Kaakour responded by saying, “This is a patriarchal method,” which led to a major controversy that erupted between the two deputies, Qabalan Qabalan and Paula Yacoubian, which prompted a response from Speaker Berri, saying: “There are people who work here, and there are people who intend that this session should not take place.”
Earlier, Speaker Berri said in response to MP Sami Gemayel: “There will be no papers coming today because it is an election session, and you can submit proposals to change the constitution,” and indicated that “the Parliament is counting on him to redeem the country, and without it, there is no salvation for the country.”
He added, “We do not want to stick to the assets and leave the original.”
Election of members of the Supreme Council for the Judgment of Presidents and Ministers
At the beginning of the session, the parliament elected Representatives Jamil Al-Sayed, Tony Franjieh, Abdul Karim Kabbara, Faisal Al-Sayegh, Hagop Pakradounian, George Atallah and Imad Al-Hout, to the membership of the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers.
The “battalions”, “forces” and new representatives boycotted the elections of members of the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers.
Bo Saab
Before entering the session, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab confirmed that “Line 29 is an option and I refused to call it the negotiating line because this designation means toppling it, but it is still an option that is being worked on.”
Bou Saab pointed out that “Lebanon is negotiating the demarcation file from a strong position, and this gives hope that we can reach a solution,” noting that “there is a positive atmosphere in the demarcation negotiations and a solution can be reached, and most importantly, we will not give up any of our rights nor partnership with The Israeli enemy.
The House of Representatives approved the draft law contained in Decree No. 8952, opening an additional appropriation for the general budget reserve for 2022, at a value of 10,000 billion Lebanese pounds. The organization in the Middle East, with its headquarters in Beirut, and the privileges and immunities it enjoys on Lebanese territory.
Mikati: We have no resources
For his part, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati affirmed “the government’s continuous and relentless efforts to follow up the file of public sector employees, in order to provide them with solutions within the available capabilities.”
In his speech during the legislative session held in the House of Representatives, Mikati said: “Since the budget was delayed, we, as a government, had sent under a project of 10 billion, and we had refuted these amounts, and the Finance and Budget Committee recently asked Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil to make a presentation on this. Expenses that will go to many things, including: a transfer allowance for the military corps, a hospitalization allowance, a sickness and maternity allowance, and credits to the Ministries of Education and the Interior.
He pointed out that “spending takes place within very limited limits because there are no resources,” and stated that “in the meeting of the ministerial committee to address the repercussions of the financial crisis on the public utility, we waited for the Minister of Finance to give the cost in numbers, and we are waiting for the Minister of Finance to present the cost in numbers.”
Mikati continued: “We do not want to give with one hand and take with the other hand so that inflation does not occur, and we are trying to create an atmosphere conducive to the employee’s return to work, and the numbers will be there tomorrow and we will provide the solution that we can offer to the employees.”
And Mikati added, “The issue related to whether or not employees accept the solutions we offer is another research, but we are doing our best, we have no resources, and we will do our best to achieve this until the budget is issued.”
