Change and Reform Demands Prior Agreement on 'Legislation of Necessity' Topics

The Change and Reform bloc led by MP Michel Aoun announced Tuesday that it supports the so-called legislation of necessity amid the presidential void, but stressed that the topics must be agreed on before heading to parliament.

“We reiterate our stance on the legislation of necessity, which was raised due to the presidential vacuum and the extensions,” bloc secretary MP Ibrahim Kanaan announced after the weekly meeting in Rabieh.

“The legislation of necessity deals with major national issues such as the electoral law and the law on restoring nationality and we are willing to discuss other issues that fall under this criteria,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the parliament convened to elect members of its various committees, as well as members of its bureau.

Speaker Nabih Berri urged lawmakers during the meeting to agree to hold a legislative session as soon as possible, cautioning them that the World Bank has warned Lebanon that it would drop it from its list of aid receivers for years to come in the absence of the necessary financial legislation.

Turning to the issue of the presidential vacuum that started in May 2014, Change and Reform reiterated that the president of the republic must be “influential in his community as stipulated by the Taef Accord.”

“The president's characteristics must also conform with the National Pact, in line with the Constitution,” it said.

Responding to a reporter's question on the national dialogue sessions, Kanaan said that in order for dialogue “to be of use, it must tackle the issues that we are complaining of, especially the constitutional problem in the political system.”

Y.R.