Christian MPs boycott budget session on Gemayel's murder anniversary

A parliament session over the state budget was postponed on Wednesday due to lack of quorum as it coincided with the 40th anniversary of former President Bashir Gemayel's assassination.

The majority of Christian MPs boycotted the session, while fifty eight MPs arrived at the Parliament, expressing discontent over the budget draft law.

Reformist MP Waddah al-Sadek said the Change MPs will vote against the budget law, and called on Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to postpone the session out of respect for the assassination's anniversary of former President Gemayel. So did deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who attended while other Free Patriotic Movement MPs boycotted.

"I asked Speaker Berri to postpone the session out of respect for the MPs who decided to boycott today's session," Bou Saab said.

The session was postponed to Thursday morning and will be held tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, public sector retirees had gathered since morning in front of Parliament to protest the state budget that they said did not take their demands into consideration. They demanded a wage increase, better health care and education for their children.