Minister of Social Affairs in the caretaker government, Hector Al-Hajjar, expressed his hope that Minister of Displaced Persons, Issam Sharafeddine, would "respect the roles of his other colleagues involved in the file of Syrian refugees, the principles of institutional work, and the respect for the work each is doing in their respective ministries."
Al-Hajjar's statement followed Sharafeddine's recent "inaccurate and accusatory remarks via media regarding my approach to the Syrian refugee issue in Lebanon and the recent developments related to it. At times he accuses me of being under pressures that lessen my enthusiasm for this file, and at other times of not responding to his proposals regarding the leadership of the negotiating delegation to Syria and engaging in side meetings, which can be described at the very least as enthusiastic but lacking respect for protocols and organized institutional work."
He added: "I have long been vocal about my position on this matter, which is the necessity of adhering to the constitution and the relevant ministerial committees to address this complex file, and the importance of serious handling during its management by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati."
