According to "An-Nahar," caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati seemed decisive yesterday when he told the Journalists' Syndicate, "When necessary and required, I will call the Council of Ministers to convene, in accordance with the constitutional powers vested in me. However, at present, there is nothing urgent that necessitates holding a session." He expressed his rejection of the proposed "rotating decrees" as lacking constitutional support, emphasizing that "only what is stated in the Constitution and its spirit will be implemented."
Notably, in relation to this stance, Mikati denied that any weapons had entered Beirut Airport, stating that "when discussing the airport file, and following the UNIFIL incident, I was about to call the Supreme Defense Council to meet in my capacity as Deputy Chair, but I retracted the matter so that it wouldn't be said that we are provoking anyone."
Information suggests that the attempt to reach a government consensus on Council of Ministers sessions has failed, as Mikati and several political figures completely rejected the proposal to include ministers reflecting the positions of the "Free Patriotic Movement" by relying on rotating decrees. Justice Minister Henry Khoury conveyed a predetermined political stance to the committee meeting a few days ago, stating that the government could not convene in the absence of a President of the Republic. A ministerial source revealed that the committee meeting "was the first and last meeting" and did not achieve the desired result due to several proposals presented by Khoury, who is acting under the direction of "Free Patriotic Movement" leader Gebran Bassil, who insists that there is no legitimacy for any Council of Ministers sessions.
The committee discussed various ideas amid lengthy exchanges to facilitate the government's work, while the majority leans toward the view that the government can hold ministerial sessions, pending responses to two questions:
- Which files cannot wait, necessitating the government to hold a session and establish its agenda?
- What is the fate of the decrees that will be issued in implementation of the Council of Ministers' resolutions—who will sign them in the designated section?
Reports indicate that Mikati does not wish to repeat the uproar that accompanied the last session and seeks to open up to everyone, including ministers associated with the Free Patriotic Movement, although the information conveyed to Mikati confirms that "the Free Patriotic Movement will not change its position," which was reiterated by the Minister of Justice, stating in front of his colleagues that government sessions are unconstitutional. One minister responded that the initial steps are not encouraging and that "what was agreed upon has now changed." The course of this discussion led to the loss of the two discussed points that brought the four ministers together. However, Education Minister Abbas Halabi confirmed yesterday that Mikati may call for a session before the New Year concerning several files, particularly the promotions of officers that are subject to a legal deadline, and also confirmed that the Shiite duo will participate in the upcoming meetings.
