Environment Minister Suspends Participation in Waste Management Committee
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq refused on Monday to participate in the meetings of the ministerial committee tasked with studying the waste management crisis.
Al-Mashnouq asked Prime Minister Tammam Salam to appoint another minister in his place.
An Nahar daily said Monday that the committee has expanded to include 11 ministers from all political parties. But al-Mashnouq's pullout reduced the number to 10.
The committee is awaiting a report from Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq on the municipalities willing to host landfills.
Later on Monday, Salam appointed Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb to a panel tasked with finding a solution to the trash disposal crisis.
The environment minister's announcement came after he claimed that he is the only official trying to resolve the garbage crisis that erupted following last month's closure of the Naameh landfill, which lies south of Beirut.
Pressure grew on the government on Saturday after demonstrators gave political leaders a deadline to meet their demands.
"You Stink,” the main organizer of the mass rally in downtown Beirut, threatened to escalate its protest movement if the government does not meet the demands by Tuesday evening.
The ultimatum calls for a sustainable solution to the trash crisis, the resignation of al-Mashnouq and new elections to replace a parliament in power since 2009.
Despite his announcement on Monday, al-Mashnouq stopped short of resigning.
In remarks to As Safir newspaper, he said: “I am the only official who is trying to do something to resolve the garbage crisis.”
“Most of the political parties are running away from their responsibilities,” he said.
31 August 2015, 11:20
52
Mashnouq , no need to get " you hurt my feelings " mode ! this is a critical issue and you are the environment minister , if you can't handle it leave this task and go sulk at home
31 August 2015, 11:33
23
U left everything till the last minute and u plunged z whole country into the trash mountains and now u refuse to participate!!
Taib why didn't u go home from the first minutes and saved us all these troubles perhaps...
31 August 2015, 11:42
38
You need to read well. He has withdrawn from the file, not from his position at the Ministry. This guy is unbelievable.
31 August 2015, 11:51
510
Could have built a sorting/processing plant by now, reducing the waste by at least 50% while working on recycling and finding a landfill for what is not recyclable.
But what for? We can resign and go live in Zurich next to our bank holding our loot.
31 August 2015, 13:24
93
hahahahahaha! My maid rushed into my office and told me you are posting again flamesrower! She recognized you although you are incognito for understandable security concerns. She loves you and she gets depressed when you don't post like you used to. She says you are somesing anazar flamesrower, very anazar!
31 August 2015, 16:49
00
A minister who avoids his duties is not competent for the position...GET OUT OF HERE!
31 August 2015, 18:48
00
The proper thing for him to do is resign, whether it's his fault or not. It was his responsibility and that makes him accountable. This is the way it works in the political and corporate world.
31 August 2015, 19:36
03
Canada, I don't know Mohamed, but I've never heard anything bad of him too, but all said and done, for a man like him to preserve his integrity, he must leave the trash bandwagon. The mafia is a dangerous mix of M14 and M8 politicians, they will see a few good men who in fact believe in the job they're doing, then they'll play their game and leave the few good ones in animated suspension, let Mohamed quit and leave the dirt lot to play on their own, before they stick on his something bad.
01 September 2015, 03:23
00
I think the focus should be on demanding the resignation of Berri, Aoun, Jumblat (the dinosaurs)from the Parliament. Gaegae and Nasrallah are not PMs so nothing can be asked of them. And focus on new Parliamentary elections, not resignations of individual ministers.
01 September 2015, 03:12
00
Asking for the resignation of this and that,
Then asking mr Salam to go,
All this leads us where?
Who is going to deal with this problem of rubbish?
Is it our priority? Or our priority is ask for the election of a PRESIDENT,
I support all claims to solve lots of crisis in Lebanon,
However our priority is to elect a president
If we discard this priority replacing it by anything else
Then sorry to declare my deep concerns of MANIPULATION by destructive political and military parties
01 September 2015, 18:44
00
I deeply respect some commentators like@phoenix and like @whyaskwhy not because they may share with me some political points but because I feel they think for a while before commenting.
Maybe the president has no power to order pizza if he asks his wife, daughters and entourage for this power. Power is not offered but comes from within. UN is against illegal arms (1701). so in case our presidents find difficulties in ordering pizza he may be served. All what he needs is clearly cough and ask for help. I would cooperate even with Shaytan to get my pizza.
I am for any political party (right or left) aiming to gain popular support through working for the interest of the country and wrestling others.
At the same time I am strongly opposing any armed party no matter what their cause is, because only the lebanese army should deal with any cause necessitating arms
