Jumblatt: Today's Parliamentary Session Is the Making of Those Obstructing the Election of a New President

Leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, stated that the MPs who claimed their participation in today's legislative session is to prevent public sector employees from missing their salaries are not being truthful. He suggested that they are using this excuse to justify holding this session, as the additional appropriations approved in this session could have easily been approved by the government, just as many appropriations were approved in the past year. He added in a statement: "If someone argues that the government cannot spend additional appropriations because the 2023 budget reserves have been exhausted, the same issue arises with what the parliament has legislated since it opened an appropriation in a non-existent budget, which is the 2023 budget. Therefore, the Council of Ministers could have opened these appropriations approved today and could legalize them when the circumstances allow, specifically when this council sends the 2023 budget to parliament." He emphasized that "today's session is the work of those obstructing the election of a new president for the country. The actual solution to our problems lies in beginning to fill the presidential vacancy, not in circumventing the constitution and laws to pass decisions in an unstudied manner, which will lead to further escalation of the situation in Lebanon."