FPM: Miqati Exceeding His Jurisdiction, Infringing on Others' Powers
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Free Patriotic Movement on Tuesday slammed “what Premier Najib Miqati has been saying about an infringement of the premiership’s powers,” stressing that the prime minister has been “acting in excess of his jurisdiction and in fact infringing on the powers of others.”
“Every now and then, Prime Minister Najib Miqati voices stances in the media that carry a lot of fallacies and overbidding, through which he attacks who he claims are parties ‘infringing on the powers’ of the premiership, which represents an infringement of the Sunni sect’s rights -- as he claims,” the FPM’s press office said in a statement.
The press office incorporated Article 64 of the Constitution -- which defines the powers of the prime minister -- in its statement in order to “inform the public opinion and ask the PM some questions.”
Article 64 says: “The Prime Minister is the Head of Government and its representative. He speaks in its name and shall be considered responsible for executing the general policy that is set by the Council of Ministers. He shall exercise the following powers:
1. He shall head the Council of Ministers and shall be ex officio Deputy Head of the Supreme Defense Council.
2. He shall conduct the parliamentary consultations for forming the government. He shall sign, with the President of the Republic, the Decree of its formation. The government must present its general statement of policy to the Chamber to gain its confidence within thirty days of the date of issuance of the Decree in which the government was formed. The government shall not exercise its powers before it gains confidence nor after it has resigned or is considered resigned, except in the narrow sense of a care-taker government.
3. He shall present the Government's general policy before the Chamber of Deputies.
4. He shall sign, with the President of the Republic, all decrees, except the Decree which designates him the Prime Minister, and the Decree accepting the government's resignation or considering it as having resigned.
5. He shall sign the Decree calling for an extraordinary parliamentary session, and decrees issuing laws, and decrees requesting the reconsideration of laws.
6. He shall call the Council of Ministers into session and sets its agenda, and he shall inform the President beforehand of the subjects included on the agenda and of the urgent subjects that will be discussed.
7. He shall follow up the activities of administrations and public institutions, and shall coordinate among the Ministers and give general guidance to ensure the proper progress of affairs.
8. He shall hold working meetings with the concerned authorities in the Government in the presence of the concerned Minister.”
The FPM asked Miqati “to tell us which clause of these clauses is being infringed and to identify the infringer of the rights of the dear Sunni sect.”
“We also ask him -- according to clauses 7 and 8 of the aforementioned article: Who is acting in excess of his jurisdiction and in fact infringing on the powers of others?” FPM’s press office added.
03 January 2012, 18:26
231
Miqati's one-way ticket into oblivion a la Saad Hariri is being booked as we write. He will soon get the boot of his pathetic life that will send him and his "cause of ahl al Sunna above that of all honorable Lebanese" continent-hopping with his tail between his legs. Lebanon will rise despite the filth that Rafic Syria left behind him, may he rot in hell.
03 January 2012, 20:21
90
The constitution vests most powers in the council of ministers - not just the prime minister (who still plays a strong role).
When article 64 says that [the PM] "shall follow up the activities of administrations and public institutions, and shall coordinate among the Ministers"; it means the PM does not **replace** every minister.
This is further reinforced by article 65 which states that “Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers. […] Among the powers […]: 1. It sets the general policy of the Government in all fields, prepares Bills and organizational Decrees […]”
So practically each minister in the council is responsible over his jurisdiction – not the PM himself. In opposition, when the PM takes the initiative to propose laws that fall in the jurisdiction of an existing minister, totally ignoring him (case of labor's minister), he becomes the de facto ruler of the country – by replacing his minister and assuming his role as he pleases.
03 January 2012, 20:21
90
All to say therefore, that when the PM speaks on behalf of the whole government, he makes a reference to what has been produced by the council, ie the collective actions of his ministers - not to what he decides or thinks on his own, alone.
But in Lebanon, sectarian sensitivities and affiliations are above the constitution – and everything else by the way. Gladly, there is one only thing that 8/3 and 14/3 agree on: they agree to disagree and therefore their concept-country called "Lebanon" is their only victim. Because their blinded followers hate each other’s and forget that after all... they are all (conceptually speaking) Lebanese.
Enjoy.
03 January 2012, 21:23
52
rebels think they can attack our allies, but all their efforts will fail and they are with the filthy zionist information war department.
03 January 2012, 22:00
07
They want to arrest Siniora for alleged crimes committed when he was prime minister and now they gripe about Mikati and his handling of the job. Always some fringe complaint and never anything constructive from this nit picking assemilation of Aoun syncophants.
While the Aoun family members picks the ministries in which they have assumed power clean by underhanded dealings, they can only seem to criticize others for allegedly doing the same things that the Aounists themselves do. As the bible says, Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"
04 January 2012, 02:31
02
@sweating-demon. Yes, "alleged crimes". A person is not a criminal until adjudicated a criminal by a legal tribunal. Ha Siniora been charged, much less tried and convicted by anyone other than the Aouni?
Who is suffering from brainwashing here? Aounists or constitutionalists? Certainly not you, demon sweating. To be brainwashed, first you must have a brain as evidenced by the ability to think.
04 January 2012, 08:23
12
"as for berri, we all agree he's a handicap on the FPM and he's overtly on bad terms with FPM especially after aoun defeated him in jezzine. the enemy of your enemy should be your friend, RIGHT :P ? you should LOVE berri. after all, he's a mafioso like most of the M14 'elite'..."
sweating_demon: You dug your own grave now
04 January 2012, 17:47
30
the filthy zionist information war department is talking about inferiority complex on aoun.
this time i have to agree on them. they know what are they talking about. from their own personal experience
04 January 2012, 17:52
30
the filthy zionist information war department is talking about "alleged crimes" when defending their allies.
but,
when some illegal international court make indictment on no evidence against their enemies, there is no "alleged" for them.
04 January 2012, 17:54
30
TO NAHARNET EDITORS:
the filthy zionist pretending to be my fanclub has sent death threat to "sweating demon".
are you going to do something about that?
