Salam 'Committed to Constitution' in Resolving Govt. Mechanism Dispute
Prime Minister Tammam Salam stated that he is still continuing consultations with various political parties to reach an agreement over a new government mechanism, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.
He told the daily: “I am committed to the constitution and will not abandon it.”
He noted that during the past seven months and since the end of President Michel Suleiman's term, state affairs have been obstructed, “and we hope that the political factions would realize the harms such practices.”
“They should focus their attention on tackling state affairs, not in an ideal manner, but in an exceptional way, because the situation in Lebanon is not sound and we should take the extraordinary situation into consideration,” he explained as regards to the presidential vacuum.
Suleiman's term ended in May without the election of a successor.
Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise presidential candidate have thwarted the presidential elections.
The vacuum has led to controversy over the role of government and the necessary mechanism it should adopt given the absence of a head of state.
The differences between cabinet ministers on the amendment of the mechanism prompted Salam to suspend sessions in the past two weeks until the ministers reach an agreement on the formula, which he wants it to be based on article 65 of the constitution.
The current mechanism, which was adopted after the cabinet assumed the responsibilities of the president in accordance with the constitution, states that ministers should give unanimous support to the government's decisions.
M.T.
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