‘Disgust’ and ‘Negative Distinction’ Major Highlights of 3-Day Parliamentary Session
A “disgust” expressed by Speaker Nabih Berri and the “negative distinction” caused by Phalange MP Sami Gemayel were the major highlights of the last day of a parliamentary session that led to the government’s survival of a vote of confidence.
The three-day session that ended after midnight Thursday included 30 hours of statements by 62 MPs and responses by five members of the cabinet and Premier Najib Miqati. Among the 62 lawmakers, 34 were from the March 14-led opposition and 28 were members of the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition.
Eight disputes between members of parliament were recorded throughout the three-day session that was aimed at assessing the government’s performance.
Berri expressed “disgust” before the vote of confidence over the sectarian tension and the MPs’ resort to the past as a weapon to confront the cabinet or rival lawmakers.
A March 14 leader lamented the “negative distinction” between the March 14 forces and the Phalange party that was caused after Gemayel’s call for a vote of confidence.
Sixty-three MPs granted the government a vote of confidence as Gemayel was joined by his two party members, MPs Samer Saadeh and Fadi al-Habr in voting no after March 14 lawmakers walked out of the legislature.
“The government received a gift that it wasn’t expecting after MP Gemayel went out of the March 14 unanimity not to call for a confidence vote,” the opposition leader, who refused to be identified, told An Nahar daily published Friday.
His call for the vote came after he asked Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi if he was planning to pay a $400 million compensation to Minister Nicolas Fattoush, owed to him and his brothers by the state for suspending the activity at their stone quarries.
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