Salam Holds onto Consensus, Says Cabinet to Discuss Budget-Wages Link

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has stressed that the government would manage the people's affairs under a decision made by its members to have consensus on regular decisions, saying they would discuss ways to incorporate the wage scale in the 2015 budget.

Salam, according to his visitors, said that the cabinet would continue in its work to manage the affairs of the Lebanese and meet their needs under the unusual circumstances.

It would also follow up the issues that concern Lebanon and the Lebanese from all factions, said the PM, whose remarks were published in several dailies on Monday.

“We agreed on not to obstruct” the government's work, he said, adding “I am responsible for the adoption of the consensus mechanism. I have never called for unanimity.”

Earlier this month, the cabinet changed its working mechanism after it was hit by paralysis as a result of the veto used by several ministers.

The cabinet members agreed for regular decisions to be made by consensus and for decrees to be presented to the government for signature after being signed by Salam, the relevant minister and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil.

These decisions were taken to manage the cabinet's affairs in the absence of a head of state.

“We are living in exceptional conditions. All we seek for is to manage the country's affairs without forgetting about the presidential vacuum which is a sensitive issue,” Salam's visitors quoted him as saying.

An extraordinary cabinet session set to be held on April 16 to discuss the state budget will discuss ways to include the cost of the civil sector wage scale, he said.

He added that Lebanon can no longer endure the absence of a budget.

On a regional level, the PM stressed the importance of the Arab summit that is scheduled to be held on Saturday at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he will give Lebanon's speech.

He hoped that Arab officials would succeed in overcoming the crises gripping the region.

Salam will also head to Kuwait next Monday to attend the donors conference on Syria.

Lebanon, which is suffering as s result of Syria's civil war as a result of 1.5 million refugees, is expected to receive more international assistance at the conference.

G.K.

H.K.