Fate of Nahhas’ Resignation Unknown as Aoun Mulls Submitting it to Cabinet

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Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ resignation came as a surprise to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, who was hoping that he would sign the decision taken by the cabinet over the transportation allowance decree.

Nahhas “refuses the compromises” made by Aoun’s Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, his sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday.

The sources said that Aoun reiterated constantly that he supports Nahhas, but at some point his stance changed after he agreed with Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah to resolve the cabinet crisis by “agreeing on a deal” to safeguard the government.

The cabinet went in a crisis on Feb. 1 after Prime Minister Najib Miqati accused ministers loyal to Aoun of obstructing the government’s work. He along with President Michel Suleiman stressed that Nahhas should sign the decree before calling on the cabinet to convene again.

“Nahhas took the decision according to his convictions,” the labor minister’s sources told al-Joumhouria.

As Safir newspaper said Nahhas considered that Suleiman, Miqati, Berri and even Aoun formed an alliance against him to force him to sign the transportation decree which he argues is “illegal.”

However, Aoun is mulling his decision over sending Nahhas’ resignation to Miqati, which was considered as a maneuver by the FPM leader until he find out the fate of a draft law proposed by Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan during a parliamentary session Wednesday.

According to al-liwaa newspaper, FPM sources revealed that Nahhas’ resignation will be sent to the premiership before the legislature convenes at 11:00 a.m.

MPs will discuss two urgent draft laws suggested separately by Kanaan and al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Nabil de Freij in an attempt to “legalize” the transportation and education allowances decree.

Reports on Monday said that Berri had agreed with Kanaan on a solution to the crisis whereby Nahhas should sign the transportation allowance decree and refer it to the Shura Council to decide on its legality.

An Nahar newspaper said that if Aoun submits Nahhas’ resignation to Miqati, the solution might be in adding acting Labor Minister Nicolas Fattoush’s signature to the transportation allowance decree.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that Miqati held a meeting with Aoun on Tuesday on the sidelines of a dinner banquet hosted by Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui.

The two tackled Nahhas’ resignation and began mulling the names of his successor, according to the daily.

The premier suspended the cabinet sessions on Feb. 1 until Nahhas signs the decree, saying he expects the ministers to boost their performance and abide by the government’s decision.

Comments 18
Thumb cedar 22 February 2012, 11:31

Makes Australia's FM quitting in Washington today and Lebanon look similar. lol

Missing ayoor 22 February 2012, 11:47

Aoun,Berri,Hasouni,Kanaan + co are all simple crooks and not politicians
Hassouni + Berri are also Terrorists as well as...

Thumb sophia_angle 22 February 2012, 13:00

watch out for the orange tsunami...

Default-user-icon tampax (Guest) 22 February 2012, 14:52

why are you having your period?

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 22 February 2012, 14:03

they used to say "cherchez la femme", now it's "cherchez bassil", bassil is at odd with nahas becose he is jealous..he is not the centre of "la cour" .....his father in law made an arrangment with berri that nahas will sign in change for covering the red mazout ali baba bassil...

Missing allouchi 22 February 2012, 14:37

Aoun will betray his own mother for more power. Remember he did leave his wife and daughters behind...

Missing helicopter 22 February 2012, 14:49

Unfortunately for Lebanon only political sharks are able to swim its turbulent water. Once upon a time there was a smart and honest Minister who only wanted to accomplish good things to the country, his name is Ziad Baroud (the sharks ran him away). Our people are not enlightened enough to support people like Baroud, we would rather be tribal and secterian.

Thumb geha 22 February 2012, 19:01

@helicopter
although I agree totally with your comment, however I have one reservation: Ziad Baroud is aligning himself with FPM for the next elections.
big mistake

Missing vaclav_havel 22 February 2012, 16:27

j'attendais beaucoup de Monsieur Nahhas qui me parait légitime vu son parcours académique exemplaire possédant un doctorat en économie et diplôme de LA polytechnique. Mais c'est clairement une bataille de pouvoir que mène le Général. J'ai l'impression qu'il peut tout faire pour son propre pouvoir. Il peut défendre une idée puis défendre contrairement l'inverse d'un jour à l'autre.
Monsieur Baroud était un excellent politicien et pourtant le général a insisté sur son absence du gouvernement. Je me demande si le Général a des principes... si oui quels en sont?

Default-user-icon Skyfall (Guest) 22 February 2012, 16:37

@flamethrower, please in your place i wouldnt even talk , your fellows in march 8th are proving day after day to be a joke. scandals after scandals, now Nahhas wants to resign, and Aoun must see if he accepts it or not?! what kind of joke isnt that?? its the premier which accepts or doesnt accept a minister's resignation! who the hell does your general think he is? the simple reason why Nahhas resigned is not to cover up anything but because he was betrayed, by your so called LEADER, which supported him in his position and now found a compromise because he has to MAINTAIN the governement. Nahhas with, what is left of honour in him , resigned. At least he didnt lose his life to find out his leader is a person without convictions, decisions, power. he is controlled and is a coward. Many had to learn it during the pyjama run in 91... so i suggest you just condemn your leader's non support of his minister.

Missing vaclav_havel 22 February 2012, 16:42

http://annahar.com/article.php?t=makalat&p=9&d=24655

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 22 February 2012, 17:53

nahhas should not be too much surprised, his loss is not comparable with the martyrdom of lebanese soldiers and officers who were been slaughtered by the same syrian army , operating now in homs.

Default-user-icon The Truth (Guest) 22 February 2012, 19:58

Aoun caving to Hassan and Berri's demands like the cowardly power hungry clown that he is. Huzb Allah and Amal need this buffoon in the government and parliament to make it seem like they have a more widespread support than just their own communities. Where will Aoun's paychecks come from after Assad falls? Tehran probably...

Thumb falanges 22 February 2012, 20:24

just by judging a person from there appearance, the simplest things this psyco can not accept. Accept that you are BALD and lose the most ridiculas comeover i have ever seen.

Default-user-icon The Internationale (Guest) 22 February 2012, 21:15

If you want to know what Aoun truly stands for listen to the speech Charbel Nahhas gave today, hint it shatters the Aoun myth and exposes the hypocrite that he really is.

Default-user-icon sciences naturelles (Guest) 22 February 2012, 22:04

falanges, you should know the comb over has a practical purpose you see in strong winds it detaches itself from the side of the head and becomes a rudder/sail helping the "General" steer his way safely to the nearest embassy. Other lizards also have a similar mechanism for example the Flying Gecko have skin flaps that turn into a kind of parachute enabling it to glide.

Thumb falanges 23 February 2012, 02:34

jabal cry to your moderator. filthy Iranian scum trying to pass for Lebanese. You will never be Lebanese. Persian filth

Default-user-icon Enough (Guest) 23 February 2012, 04:54

The picture that we have all been waiting for... I surrender, put me on the first submarine to the Paris.