Cabinet Discusses Its Powers during Presidential Vacuum amid Crisis Threatening Lebanese University

Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet on Friday convened for the first time since the end of president Michel Suleiman's term, amid a heated debate in the country over the government's powers during the presidential vacuum and a major crisis that has started to put at stake the future of Lebanese University students.

Briefing reporters after the session -- during which the conferees did not tackle the 25-item agenda -- Information Minister Ramzi Jreij said “an extensive discussion took place and the ministers explained their viewpoints regarding the need to elect a president as soon as possible and the issue of the vacuum's impact on the cabinet's powers.”

“The discussions tackled the mechanism of practicing these powers and a delicate and profound debate took place. The cabinet stressed that the presidential vacuum obliges the government to abide by the Constitution's rules and to perform the duties needed to secure the country's higher interest," Jreij added.

"The ministers unanimously agreed on the importance of consensus in the work of the cabinet, stressing that the presidential vacuum is a constitutional and political defect that must be addressed before it starts to harm the Lebanese people," the minister said.

He revealed that the cabinet laid out the “broad lines” of the rules that must be followed to run the country's affairs, “according to the approach that has marked the work of this cabinet since its formation.”

According to Jreij, Salam called the cabinet to convene on Tuesday afternoon to “continue discussing the mechanism of practicing the presidential powers that have been vested in the government.”

Meanwhile, Economy Minister Alain Hakim described the session as “good,” noting that the conferees agreed on all points.

“The ministers engaged in debate as statesmen in order to preserve consensus for the sake of the country's interest,” Hakim said.

MTV said the cabinet debated “whether all ministers must be involved in preparing the agendas of the sessions or that they should settle for reviewing an agenda prepared by the PM.”

It also discussed “whether the decrees require the signatures of all ministers or only those of the PM and the relevant minister.”

The country was plunged into a presidential vacuum on May 25 after parliament failed to elect a successor to Suleiman despite having held five sessions for that purpose.

Under the constitution, the president's powers are relegated to the government, but the dispute is revolving around the extent of these powers.

Before the session, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil -- a Free Patriotic Movement official -- said his bloc came to the Grand Serail to "talk politics, not to discuss the agenda."

"We are advocates of dialogue and we have come to the Grand Serail to engage in dialogue," Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM told MTV ahead of the session.

As the meeting got underway, Salam underlined that "this cabinet is a cabinet of national interest and its main concern during the coming period must be paving the ground for holding the presidential election as soon as possible."

"The cabinet is functioning according to Article 62 of the Constitution which vests the government with the president's powers should there be a vacancy for any reason whatsoever," the PM added.

"We want the cabinet to remain unified, cohesive and functioning in a positive atmosphere," said Salam.

"The government's functioning will be discussed and it is normal to talk politics," Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas told reporters before entering the session.

For his part, Jreij said "it is normal to discuss the government's functioning during this stage."

But State Minister for Administrative Development Nabil de Freij said "the FPM's remarks are unacceptable as the Constitution is clear regarding the government's jurisdiction in the event of vacuum and the cabinet keeps functioning."

"No one should fabricate reasons to paralyze the cabinet and the parliament and whoever is keen on the presidency must head to parliament to elect a president," said Health Minister Wael Abou Faour, who is close to centrist leader MP Walid Jumblat.

Meanwhile, Telecom Minister Butros Harb said: "We will raise proposals that have to do with the cabinet's work during this period."

Economy Minister Hakim said two conditions must govern the government's work during this period -- "the signatures of the 24 ministers and a previous agreement on the agenda."

For his part, Hizbullah's State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Fneish pointed out that it is important to "maintain the atmosphere of political understanding, even if we got engaged in a debate over the interpretation of the Constitution."

Simultaneously with the cabinet session, Lebanese University contract professors were holding a sit-in and declaring from the Riad al-Solh Square that "no exams will be held before the officials succeed in the exam of approving our full-time appointment.”

“We will not lay out the questions of the exams except after the officials answer our questions,” the professors stressed.

“The university is going through a state of complete paralysis, but students have realized that a month lost of the academic year is equivalent to years of success should the professors get their rights,” they added.

“We will only return to the university as full-timers,” the professors stated.

Y.R.