Lebanon’s Caretaker Cabinet met Monday morning at the Grand Serail after 2 ministers defied a declared Free Patriotic Movement boycott and secured quorum for a session described by caretaker PM Najib Mikati as an emergency meeting.
FPM released a statement last night in which it declared a boycott of the session. The statement carried the names of the caretaker ministers of foreign affairs, justice, defense, economy, social affairs, energy, tourism, industry and the displaced.
A two-thirds quorum was however secured for the session by caretaker Industry Minister George Boujikian of the Tashnag Party which is allied with the FPM.
Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar later joined the session to voice his opposition to the meeting then exited after failing to convince Mikati to stop it.
Speaking after the session, Mikati said decisions were taken in the file of the cancer, dialysis and incurable diseases patients and in the file of OGERO’s funds.
Social aid for servicemen and pensioners was also approved according to caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makari.
Mikati also said that some agenda articles were dropped based on the request of some ministers, revealing that there will be a meeting at 3pm for the ministers who attended and those who boycotted to “agree on a work mechanism.”
Mikati had argued that the caretaker cabinet needs to approve urgent matters, including a decree related to medical services offered to cancer and dialysis patients.
TFPM and its founder former president Michel Aoun have repeatedly warned against holding cabinet sessions amid the ongoing presidential vacuum, labeling such a move as an attack on the president’s powers.
Political will to elect new president”
Mikati said last Saturday that “political will” is required to end an impasse on the election of a new president, after the parliament failed for the eight time last Thursday in electing a president
“What is needed first and foremost is the political will of various political forces and blocs to complete the formation of constitutional institutions by electing a new president as soon as possible,” Mikati said during a press conference in Beirut.
Aoun left office on October 31 after completing a six-year term, without lawmakers agreeing on a successor.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing a crippling economic crisis that, according to the World Bank, is one of the worst the world has seen in modern times.
The country has been without a fully functioning government since May, with Mikati and his Cabinet having limited powers in their current caretaker status.
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