Lebanon discusses latest developments

President Michel Sleiman discussed on Monday the latest developments in the country with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Lebanese National News Agency reported. Sleiman and Mikati also addressed the “implementation of governmental work,” the report said, adding that the president discussed the country’s security situation with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel. Earlier on February, a dispute related to administrative appointments erupted in the cabinet. Following the February 1 session, Mikati said that he will no longer convene the cabinet unless “actions of obstruction” end. About the Lebanese government crisis over the transportation allowance decree, ministers expected the crisis to be solved this week, according to Lebanese local media. “The Cabinet crisis is heading towards a solution. Dialogue is underway between the labour minister and legal experts to find a legal solution for the problem over the transportation allowance decree,” Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said in a press release. Abboud said if a legal solution is found for the transportation allowance problem, Labour Minister Charbel Nahhas will sign the transportation decree ahead of a crucial Parliament session on Wednesday, a development that would encourage Prime Minister Najib Mikati to reconvene the Cabinet this week. Parliament is expected to vote Wednesday on two draft laws, one prepared by Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan and another by Future Bloc MP Nabil de Freij, which would authorise the Cabinet to set transportation and education allowances. Media reports said the two draft laws would be combined into one proposal to allow MPs from the March 8 and March 14 camps to ratify it during Wednesday’s legislative session, a move which would open the way to a resumption of Cabinet meetings. Abboud said either way, Nahhas will eventually sign the transportation allowance decree, viewed by Mikati and President Michel Sleiman as a major hurdle in the way of resuming Cabinet sessions. “Once Parliament has endorsed the transportation allowance bill, Minister Nahhas cannot but sign the decree,” Abboud said. A source close to Mikati stressed that Nahhas’ signing of the transportation allowance decree was essential for resuming Cabinet sessions. The prime minister pointed that the Cabinet sessions would resume as soon as Nahhas signs the transportation allowance decree. Nahhas has refused to sign the decree, contending that it should first be ratified by Parliament. However, Nahhas had signed a decree pertaining to the Cabinet’s decision to raise the minimum wage to LL675, 000 from LL500, 000. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel was also optimistic about a solution for the Cabinet crisis, saying that the labour minister would eventually sign the decree to regulate the transportation allowance. “Eventually, he [Nahhas] has to sign the decree, given that the work of the government cannot [proceed] unless ministers respect Cabinet decisions,” Charbel said.