Mikati holds consultative meeting with 19 ministers

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and nineteen caretaker ministers held a “consultative meeting” Friday at the Grand Serail, the National News Agency said, in the wake of the controversy over the latest caretaker cabinet session which was boycotted by the Free Patriotic Movement ministers.

The meeting was attended by the caretaker ministers of foreign affairs, education, information, justice, telecom, energy, sports, defense, displaced, social affairs, industry, tourism, interior, culture, environment, labor, agriculture, public works and economy. It was also attended by the director general of the Presidency and the secretary general of the Council of Ministers.

Deputy PM Saade al-Shami, Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, Administrative Development Minister Najla Riachi and Health Minister Firass Abiad did not attend the meeting.

MTV meanwhile reported that “without prior notice, media outlets were prevented from covering the consultative meeting.”

The meeting was attended by all the ministers who had boycotted the December 5 cabinet session.

Mikati and other parties had argued that the Dec. 5 meeting had been necessary in order to approve urgent matters including a decree related to cancer and dialysis patients.

The FPM meanwhile described the session as unnecessary, unconstitutional and an attack on the president’s powers amid an ongoing presidential vacuum.

MTV had reported Thursday that the consultative ministerial meeting would discuss the issue of “mending the governmental rift and finding solutions for the current disputes.”

The TV network added that the discussions would also tackle the issue of who is entitled to “sign the decrees that were issued by the government in its December 5 session.”