Berri Suspends Parliamentary Session after Boycott of Christian MPs
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri suspended on Tuesday the parliamentary session for lack of quorum after Christian blocs boycotted it over the approval of EDL contract workers’ full-employment.
“The boycott is based on political reasons and not sectarian,” Berri said.
Change and Reform bloc, Phalange party and Lebanese Forces lawmakers took the decision to boycott the morning session to protest the draft law.
LBC TV reported that Ashrafieh bloc MPs also decided to boycott the session.
Earlier, a meeting between the Speaker, Prime Minister Najib Miqati and al-Mustaqbal bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora was held at the parliament.
According to the National News Agency, only 47 MPs were present at the parliament.
Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel told LBC that “all the main Christian blocs opposed the decision and demanded the introduction of some amendments to the draft law… Is it normal to ignore their point of view?”
“The Christians are capable of uniting their stances when the issue is linked to their dignity,” he stated.
However, EDL Contract workers continued their strike on Tuesday in protest against the company’s failure to pay them their salaries, vowing in a statement that the strike will go on.
They vowed not to halt their strike until the parliamentary decision is published in the official gazette.
According to As Safir the Christian MPs are demanding the parliament to rectify “the mistake” made on Monday.
“It's the least we can do,” Change and Reform source told the daily.
The parliament approved, during the first of a two-day legislative session that kicked off on Monday, the full-time employment of EDL contract workers, who will have to sit for a closed exam, which will be held by the Civil Service Board.
The lawmakers introduced several amendments to the draft-law.
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil called on Monday on Christian Ministers and MPs to assume their responsibilities as the approval of EDL workers’ full-time employment would destabilize the sectarian balance in the company.
Bassil noted that around 80 percent of the contract workers belong to non-Christian sects and most of them support Berri, who is a Shiite.
The boycott is “imperative,” Phalange party sources told al-Akhbar newspaper, calling on the parliament to vote again on the issue.
03 July 2012, 08:53
01
Abi Ramia is loyal to the FPM, not the LF. You're really bad at this.
03 July 2012, 09:12
11
they have been working in this situation since 20 years, have mercy,it is not their fault that the majority of them belong to a certain set, it is the fault of the ones who made the contracts disregarding the needed balance, now after 20 years you started RECONSIDERING!!!balad mas5ara
03 July 2012, 09:53
22
where's the prob? or you have to insert the religion in any thing, if there's no enough christians you haven't accept, what is a too bad country.
03 July 2012, 13:35
01
Apparently it is sectarian but why they must be hired as full time employee by the company?!! Why contract can't be renew over and over. I don't think the state can afford additional cost associated with hiring full time workers considering they have sent so far this year 21 Trillions LL or 15 billions dollars when the revenue for 2012 is estimated (over-estimated!) at 10.1 billion dollars!
03 July 2012, 13:37
32
lol! what about lebanese unite and not a certain sect... this proves how sectarian you are rudes and not lebanese....
03 July 2012, 15:08
11
poor FT... lebanese need to be united not christians only: see how sectarian you are, your BS is evident for all to see....
03 July 2012, 15:11
12
I agree, this sectarian system is very much the core problem for Lebanon. Clerics of all religions should stay out of politics, they have estates to manage (some of them are stolen -true-) and followers to advise. (some) People keep thinking we're against the shia community, which is wrong. We're against the Hezbollahi weapons.
03 July 2012, 16:17
10
bla bla bla ya rudes just copying on your idiocy so you can understand....
03 July 2012, 15:06
03
Berri will get to go home earlier today... not that He ever works much anyway.
03 July 2012, 15:42
10
bisara7a moch 3am befham shou l mashkal? iza l jame3a byestehlo markazoun nshala ykouno 100% shi3a wen l mashkal talama byest7e2o l sheghel w bikouno ta7et l 2anoun.
l ta2ifiyi ma btebni balad ya jame3a!!
w 7aj ba2a nkhawif l masi7iyi! wa7da dawlit l 2anoun bte7mi 72ou2 l kel (masi7iyi w gher masi7iyi).
halla2 iza meshklit kelfi 3al dawli 3ala asess "permanent" Why contracts can't be renew?
03 July 2012, 18:13
01
Because they are overpopulating some governmental institutions. For example if u need 2000 employers, berri is putting 5000 ( of his choice) without any tests.
That is the problem.
03 July 2012, 19:21
00
hek ana ma3ak. ye3ni l 2essa moch ta2ifiyi metel mana ma3rouda. iza l ghalat bel 2idara w zyedit kelfi 3al dawli hayda manti2 mazbout, bass ma n7awela la meshkli ta2ifiyi metel ma 7adrit l wazir 2al : "Bassil noted that around 80 percent of the contract workers belong to non-Christian sects and most of them support Berri, who is a Shiite". hayda kalem te7rid ta2ifi ma byemni mojtama3!
03 July 2012, 16:06
00
c'est vraiment honteux! mentalité sectaire, confessionnelle,non républicaine, non citoyenne!!!
Monsieur le ministre, ta décision vaut zéro!
03 July 2012, 16:46
12
I feel sorry for these contract workers. But it is time that Berri understands that the lebanese civil service is for the service of the people. It is not an employment agency for his constituents (the chiites).
Also it is good that the christians show some teeth. The chiites agenda is to "liberate chebaa", and keep Lebanon hostage in the process. The sunnites agenda is to never again have a May 7, even if that means naturalizing half a million palestinian in the process. What are the christian asking for? They are just trying to prevent being completely marginalized in their own country!!
03 July 2012, 18:11
01
I agree with u on some parts. But not on the generalisation of the agendas. Such agenda is non existent in the sunni populations mind. It´s just people like sanyoura and hariri with their Saudi backers that want to spread Salafism into Lebanon.
Marginalized are not only the Christians. Sunnis cant even import goods these days without the "shiites" ( read Amal and other party members) in beirut port taking 100% under the table to let the goods pass.
03 July 2012, 17:06
00
It's scarce to read a non-sectarian comment on this blog! Thanks "lebneneh", I feel better!
03 July 2012, 18:07
02
The biggest problem I see here, is why CHRISTIANS only unite for this. I mean Berri wants to pay his Amal members through the state, why cant sunni parties also be included in the boycott?
If we want to change these sick things in the country, were a "Za3im" can hire 5000 useless idiots only because they belong to his party ( and thus securing their and their families votes) we have to UNITE across the religious borders.
03 July 2012, 18:36
01
Christian are united because the patriarch asked them to do so. Everybody takes about the sunni street being fed up, or the chiite street. What about the christian street? You have more roads in and out of Nabatieh caza then metn caza even though there are 10 times more people living in metn. If Jal el dib was in a moslem region, they would have happened? We are the only ones paying taxes, the only ones following laws. Today Christians are ma7roumin. And if we keep like that,we will want separation again. And not with that idiot Geagea. But with a new leader.
03 July 2012, 18:51
00
thumb up, but don't generalize. other ''sects'' also pay taxes. The main issue is the stolen electricity that cost ever honest Lebanese an eye. Corruption is everywhere as well... it has no limits. I don't understand how lebanese haven't dragged all politicians to court. Every single one of them stole or killed. As long as we follow politicians or political factions (with rotten leaders) we won't find the solution. We need to regain our independence, and believe me, plenty of people from all sects desire this.
03 July 2012, 18:52
00
Whatever FT/Mowaten/rudes etc... "Mr Ten" should be your next nickname... as you already have 9 profiles.
04 July 2012, 05:52
00
The bottom line is this: if the Shias are crazy, the Sunnis are way crazier. THEY HAVE GONE BERSERK. Not one day goes by without a Sunni lunatic blowing up innocent people AND NOT ONE SANE SUNNI VOICE IS RAISED. This is proof enough that ALL SUNNIS ARE CRAZY. And the few Sunnis that are not crazy are total retards.
