Faced with an impasse, the government is scrambling to fill the void.
The government, which was called by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who resigned on Thursday, is considering other Councils of Ministers until the presidential election is averted. Abnormality is normalized under the pretext of speeding up current affairs.
Lebanon continues to fall into a state of various anomalies that led to its collapse, but the most serious is that those who control its destiny still live with it. After the meeting of the Council of Ministers held by the outgoing government of Najib Mikati on Thursday morning, the clear conclusion is that we are in the process of normalizing abnormal situations and practices under various pretexts and thereby emphasizing uncertainty. State that the country is governed and governed according to the rhythm of the interests and issues peculiar to those who are supposed to govern it. As of October 31, 2022, the country has no executive power, but the outgoing government still finds a way to meet to approve laws by claiming force majeure. However, the country is not at war. The only obstacle to its institutions is the hostage of political strife.
Urgent cases, such as the allocation of funds to hospitals treating patients at the expense of the Ministry of Health, could be resolved by travel decrees, especially since the signature of the head of state was not required. However, unlike the call of the Council of Ministers, which coincided with a time when political disputes were heating up around the presidential elections, such a procedure does not have a political aspect. The Amal-Hezbollah tandem, which wants to solve social issues, essentially wanted a government meeting.
to normalize abnormality
The supporters of the political consensus they defended wanted to show that they could easily withstand the obstruction in order to induce all the partisan forces to come to an agreement with them on the issue of the head of state candidate. executive level. Thus, speeding up current affairs becomes an excuse to normalize abnormality.
In this struggle, the Azad Vatanparvar Herakat (Free Patriotic Movement) still tried to show its superiority in the situation by trying to provoke a lack of quorum that would prevent the sitting of the resigned government. The statement, signed by nine ministers who are charmed in his orbit, was boycotted by the last of the Council of Ministers on Sunday, Thursday. Among the nine who attended the session was Georges Buchikian, the industry minister close to Tachnag, thus confirming the information that the press release was issued by the CPL command without prior consultation with the relevant ministers. .. Attempts have been made in Aunist circles to justify Mr. Bushikyan’s approach that this is not a desire on the part of Tachnag to distance himself from the CPL, but a personal initiative.
Najib Mikati said at the press briefing held at the end of the Council of Ministers that no matter what happens, this anomaly expressed by trivialization of the gap at the level of executive power will continue. – Can be called again if the situation demands.
Mr Mikati was careful to stress that Thursday’s meeting was “in accordance with the Constitution and the rules of procedure of the Council of Ministers”. He noted that some topics were rejected by the ministers participating in the meeting because they were not included in the current affairs.
New Council of Ministers
He defended the holding of the meeting again “due to the difficult conditions the country is going through” and insisted that the agenda was examined and approved only on the issues related to the sending of current affairs. “I hope that if the Council of Ministers has an emergency, all the ministers will participate in the meeting,” he said, explaining that he called the members of his team, including the ministers who boycotted the parliament, for this very reason. session, to a deliberative meeting in the afternoon. “It is important that we all work as one and separate politics and government, the latter to address the issues that matter to the people,” he continued, adding that he was “confused by the attempts by some to organize the convening of the Council.” Ministers in the denominational and confessional framework”. “No one among us wants to take the place of the president of the republic. In order to solve this issue once and for all, it is necessary to proceed with the election of the new head of state quickly,” he said. throws
Later, outgoing Minister of Information Ziad Makari read the decisions of the Council of Ministers. The latter approved the decrees, which provide for the allocation of funds from the Ministry of Health to hospitals treating patients, telephone and telecommunication sectors, that is, Ogero, as well as road cleaning during winter snow. He also gave the green light to the request from the Central Bank for the payment of up to 35 million dollars for the purchase of medicine and milk for children, as well as for the provision of social assistance to serving and retired soldiers. According to Mr. Makari’s explanations, this is an aid equal to twice the salary they receive. Other points related to the armed forces and contract teachers were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. He also allocated funds for the development of the public transport sector. Later, Mr. Makari stated that “other topics on the agenda have been postponed to the next meeting as it is preferred to be examined with the participation of more ministers.”
He did not rule out the holding of the second Council of Ministers “due to the financial deadlines that the state has to fulfill by the end of the year”. In response to a question, Mr. Makari also revealed that the new taxes and duties bill announced by the Ministry of Finance may be revised “due to the widespread protest movement.”
For his part, Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar, who was part of a group of nine ministers who decided to boycott the meeting, told the press that he had come to “ask Najib Mikati to withdraw.” He had just attended the opening of the meeting. “However, the prime minister insisted on holding the meeting. The government resigned and failed to gain the confidence of the parliament after the end of the president’s term of office,” Hajjar added. Najib did not say that he was so aggressive towards Mikati that his cultural colleague Mohammad Mortada had to intervene and ask him to calm down.
“We, as members of the government, had to consult with each other within the framework of our national obligations, how it will be possible to manage the country while waiting for the election of the president of the republic,” added Hector Hajjar. then he had a meeting with Najib Mikati.
For his part, outgoing Public Works Minister Ali Hamiyeh, when asked about Mr. Mikati’s contacts on Sunday, assured that “no one contacted them to encourage them to come to Serala”. by Amal and Hezbollah leaders to secure a quorum in the Council of Ministers.
Ministers attending the meeting are: Saade Chami, Abbas Halabi, Bassam Maoulaoui, Johnny Corm, Ziad Makari, Nasser Yassine, Abbas Hajj Hassan, Firas Abiad, Najla Riachi, Moustapha Bayram, Mohammad Mortada, Georges Kallas, Youssef Khalil, Georges Bouchikian, Georges Bouchikian Ali Hamiye and Hector Hajjar.
