Miqati Reportedly Offered Nahhas 5 Alternatives as Transportation Allowance Remains at Standstill
The cabinet remained deadlock on Wednesday as Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas seem to hold onto their stances over controversial issues.
“The issue is at a standstill as the premier’s stances are clear and he won’t back down, rumors on his resignation are untrue,” Miqati’s sources told An Nahar newspaper.
The sources noted that the cabinet should agree on a mechanism to organize its work to resolve the crisis.
The premier and the ministers of MP Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement have bickered over Miqati’s decision to appoint top civil servants in state posts reserved for Christians without consulting them.
Their dispute worsened last week after Miqati said ministers who don’t want to abide by the cabinet’s decision should resign. But Aoun slammed the premier, calling on him to quit.
According to the daily, Nahhas signed the transportation decree by modifying some of its articles, but the minister denied to OTV the report.
The labor minister’s sources told As Safir newspaper that he prepared a transportation allowance draft law to propose to the cabinet.
“He will not sign the decree (approved by the cabinet) because it’s illegal, this issue is settled,” they added.
In January, the cabinet approved a wage hike decree while the transportation and education allowances remain the contention point as Nahhas was tasked by the government to prepare a draft law and refer it to the parliament for adoption, allowing the government to set the minimum rates for transportation and education allowances, thus “legalizing” them.
However, An Nahar newspaper reported that Miqati proposed five options before Nahhas, the first is to sign the transportation and education allowances thus averting a crisis, or travel abroad so that caretaker labor minister Nicolas Fattoush signs them.
The third option according the daily is Nahhas’ approval to change portfolios, or he should submit his resignation.
Miqati threatened that if Nahhas refuses any of these options he will submit his resignation as head of the cabinet.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper said that the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Rabieh, headed by Aoun, witnessed a heated debate between the members as some criticized Nahhas’ performance.
Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud warned during the meeting against Nahhas’ refusal to abide by the cabinet and sign the transportation allowance decree, accusing him of encouraging strife between the employees and employers, sources told the daily.
An Nahar newspaper said that al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc might withdraw confidence from the labor minister, if he insists on his stances, during next Wednesday’s parliamentary session.
The daily said that the National Struggle Front parliamentary bloc of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, will voice its support to the opposition and Miqati if Nahhas holds onto his positions.
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