Parliament to Convene on March 15 after Boycott Dashed March 8 Hopes of Legalizing 2011 Spending
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A boycott by March 14 MPs and lawmakers from MP Walid Jumblat’s National Struggle Front of a crucial parliamentary session on Monday is likely to lead to an open-ended crisis on extra-budgetary spending made in the past six years.
Speaker Nabih Berri’s office announced the adjournment of the session to March 15 over lack of quorum.
According to MTV, only 56 lawmakers attended. But the National News Agency said 59 MPs were present.
Before the decision to adjourn the session, Berri held talks with Premier Najib Miqati, FPM leader Michel Aoun, Marada chief Suleiman Franjieh and Hizbullah lawmaker Mohammed Raad.
Commenting on the adjournment, Miqati said: “This is democracy in Lebanon.”
Berri had said in remarks published in several dailies he would not postpone the session although he was informed by both sides on Sunday night that they would boycott it.
“I will head to parliament to preside (the session) in accordance with its agenda,” Berri said.
“I have proposed an initiative and improved its conditions of success,” he said, adding that it was up to all sides to cooperate with him to resolve the dispute between the March 8 majority and the opposition March 14 alliance.
March 14 is conditioning its approval of a $5.9 billion spending bill to a comprehensive settlement that would include the legalization of the $11 billion spent by the governments of ex-PMs Fouad Saniora and Saad Hariri between 2006 and 2009 and of $5 billion spent by Hariri’s national unity cabinet in 2010.
Lebanon has been without a state budget since 2005.
The March 8 forces and mainly Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc have accused March 14 parties of stealing public money and demanded records of $11 billion in extra-budgetary.
The speaker stressed that the session’s agenda includes several draft-laws that concern the Lebanese. If the $5.9 billion spending bill of Miqati’s cabinet is put up for discussion and is not approved by the lawmakers, it “would not be the end of the world.”
Berri has vowed to push for the legalization of the $11 billion spending as soon as the March 14 forces and the parliament in general approve the $5.9 billion bill. He has also proposed the formation of a joint ministerial-parliamentary committee to resolve the dispute.
However, the March 14 MPs have conditioned their participation in the session to a comprehensive legalization of the spending made by consecutive governments since 2006 through a draft-law proposed by them.
As for Jumblat, he told As Safir newspaper that a decision by his bloc to boycott the session lies in its insistence to find a political solution to the dispute.
“This doesn’t mean that we are no longer part of the ruling majority,” he said about the March 8 forces.
But Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, who is a member of the Change and Reform bloc, accused Jumblat of supporting the March 14 alliance in its demand.
March 8 sources also said that the majority is being “irrational” in linking the $5.9 and $11 billion spending.
05 March 2012, 11:57
12
all what is happenning is a manoeuvre to stop the goverment to make a new electoral law based on proportionality
so in lebanon the new factions will be with new electoral law or against
and time will tell
05 March 2012, 15:12
02
Lebanon has been without a state budget since 2005.... LOL! Is Lebanon considered to be a state...? The truth is that Lebanon is a sorry excuse for a state... The only true sate is unfortunately the state of hisbulistan... Now let us go back and stick our head in the sand!!!!!
05 March 2012, 16:25
12
M14 have to their credit many achievements and no one can deny it, although these achievements are controversial. but their acheievements are way beyong what this government has done, and whatever it did, the projects were prepared by the previous governments but were blcked by M8.
moreover, nobody can forget the sit in in downtown beirut as well as closing the parliament for a long period of time which prevented legaalizing many expendetures.
whatever you say guys, it is not working :)
an audit should start for all accounts since aoun was in power so that we all know the real thieves in our country.
have you forgotten the red diesel scandal????
05 March 2012, 16:38
12
"Extra-judicial" spending means spending by the government without a budget being approved by the Parliament. 2006-2010 was a time marked by extended boycotts of Parliament when nothing was being accomplished legislatively, including the adoption of budgets. Yet, the government had to function, pay its bills, keep the lights on and, clean up the mess left by the divine victory in the July War of 2006. The M8 Gang was actively, with street boycotts trying to cause the fall of the government, which functioned nevertheless.
Yet, Aoun wants an investigation with a pre-judged outcome.
05 March 2012, 16:38
02
"Extra-judicial" spending means spending by the government without a budget being approved by the Parliament. 2006-2010 was a time marked by extended boycotts of Parliament when nothing was being accomplished legislatively, including the adoption of budgets. Yet, the government had to function, pay its bills, keep the lights on and, clean up the mess left by the divine victory in the July War of 2006. The M8 Gang was actively, with street boycotts trying to cause the fall of the government, which functioned nevertheless.
Yet, Aoun wants an investigation with a pre-judged outcome.
05 March 2012, 16:40
12
And then, as for the spending of the current March 8 government, it is well known that this bunch are like the foxes looking over the chicken house. They are stealing on a grand scale, so much, that even the Lebaense banking system is at risk.
If it were not so sad to see someone like Aoun with mud all over his face and hands and feet pointing to anyone and saying that they have dirt under their fingernails, it would be funny.
05 March 2012, 21:17
02
funny M8! while thet did everything they could to prevent previous gvt to vote the state budget they are now crying that M14 does the same! what a bunch of irresponsible kids we have!
05 March 2012, 23:54
00
I hope the M14 won't be stupid enough to put Berri back into the speakers's seat after he back stabbed them and held the parliament hostage for the stupid Huzb Allah goals of stopping the funding of the tribunal (which they accepted to do now that their friend in Syria is falling apart and they need to keep a majority government)
06 March 2012, 00:47
01
How about they are both thieves. Not a single lebanese government is clean. Sadly our last good government was back in cham3oun days. That's a long time ago. If m14 took some $$ to put in their pockets I am ok with it at least they rebuilt airports, ports, cities and more. M8 can steel as well but at least try to show us something is being dine 24/7 electricity and medical coverage. And security. It's sad but we will let u steel if u give us something in return. Why care about 8&14 they all have millions $. How much do we have ?
21 March 2012, 13:06
00
am so sad to see how lebanese people fight each others trying to defend guilty persons, stealing isnt acceptable for anyone! all people have the right to know whats going on and should keep askin their government abt what goin on? i think the problem comes frm the people themselves nt the government! think business and stop defending sides!
