Pro-Aoun Officials Criticize Shiite Duo over Conditional Cabinet Return

Parliamentary sources close to President Michel Aoun have described Hizbullah and Amal’s conditional return to Cabinet’s meetings as “precedent” that “violates both the constitution and the law.”

Hitting out at Speaker Nabih Berri, who recently said that parliament is the “master of itself,” the sources told Ashraq al-Awsat newspaper that “the same as the legislative authority does not accept conditions, the executive authority must also practice its role away from any conditions.”

Noting that the agenda of any Cabinet session is to be exclusively decided by the President and the Prime Minister, the sources stressed that “it is unconstitutional when any other side sets the agenda.”

Hizbullah and Amal have announced that their return to Cabinet meetings is exclusively aimed at discussing the 2022 state budget, the economic recovery plan and other pressing economic and social issues.

They had boycotted Cabinet since October 14, demanding the removal of Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar over alleged bias.