Ministerial panel meets in bid to settle govt. differences

It was agreed in the cosultative ministerial meeting that was held Friday at the Grand Serail to form a ministerial panel in an attempt to heal the rift between the government's quarreling camps, media reports said.

The panel will be comprised of the caretaker ministers who are retired judges -- Bassam Mawlawi (interior), Henri Khoury (justice), Mohammed Wissam al-Murtada (culture) and Abbas al-Halabi (education), the reports said.

It is scheduled to meet today, Saturday.

"The panel will convene to distinguish between the necessary and unnecessary matters and to also agree on a mechanism for signing and issuing decrees and for agreeing on cabinet agendas," MTV said.

"Khoury initially rejected to take part in the panel before agreeing to participate after being pressed by the ministers," MTV added

It also revealed that, during Friday's meeting, caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim and caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar "proposed resorting to roaming decrees and extraordinary resolutions to run citizens' affairs" as an alternative to cabinet sessions.

Hajjar also said that the Free Patriotic Movement camp rejects any cabinet session unless it is for "utmost necessity."