Yesterday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati put together a "draft agenda" for the upcoming cabinet session while simultaneously reigniting the "problem" with Gebran Bassil, causing tensions between Mirna al-Chalouhi and the Grand Serail to resurface. This time, however, the situation is marked by a controlled media exchange that Haaret Hreik coordinated with both Mikati and Bassil. Sources involved in governmental communications confirmed to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that the session will take place on Monday unless any unforeseen events occur in the next few hours.
The sources reported that "Mikati had previously agreed on this scenario with the Shiite duo during his meeting two days ago with the political aides of both President Nabih Berri and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Ali Hassan Khalil and Hussein Khalil." They revealed that the Khalils stressed the need to prepare a concise agenda that includes urgent and pressing items so that "Hezbollah" could cover the cabinet’s convening before the "National Movement" and ensure a quorum for the session. Based on the consultations, it was agreed that Mikati would distribute the agenda in the form of a "draft agenda" to mitigate criticisms that had previously targeted the last cabinet session and to allow for any adjustments requested to its items.
In this context, sources pointed out that there are several scenarios to ensure the legal quorum for Monday's session. One scenario involves the participation of "Hezbollah" ministers, as occurred in the previous session, or that "the party" may coordinate with "the National Movement" to boycott the session while ensuring the participation of two ministers from "the Movement" just to secure a quorum "even if just as a symbolic presence," similar to Minister Hector Hajjar's participation in that session under the same pretext. It was noted that "communications are still ongoing for this purpose, and it can be said that the quorum is almost secured and the cabinet meeting is nearly confirmed."
For its part, information from "Al-Liwaa" indicated that the session would take place at the beginning of next week, rather than in the coming two days due to the death of President Al-Husseini. Mikati insists on the meeting to pass vital issues and "let everyone bear their responsibility." The agenda reportedly includes eight items described as "urgent operational" matters: two items related to a loan for fuel oil to operate electricity plants, signing an agreement to sell fuel oil between Lebanon and Iraq, increasing the appropriations for the fuel costs that reached Lebanon, and renewing the agreement between the two parties. Additionally, there are drafts concerning the promotions of officers, a funding item for primary health care and addressing the wave of COVID-19, a project decree to define the price per square meter for assessing the annual fee for occupying public maritime properties, a proposal to extend the maintenance and guarding contract for the Naameh landfill, and a project decree for contractors in schools and vocational institutes to benefit from a daily transportation allowance for three days a week. The last item involves issuing decrees related to operating temporary sanitary landfills for solid waste, street cleaning operations, transferring appropriations for the operation of various administrations, and terminating the services of employees who have reached retirement age or are considered to have resigned.
Follow-up sources stated that Mikati exercised his constitutional right first to call the cabinet for a meeting, as he is the one with the authority to summon it, and secondly, to distribute the agenda to all ministers, as they collectively represent the President who the agenda was formerly directed to, with potential adjustments to its items between the two presidents. However, other sources interpreted Mikati's move as a means to gauge the ministers' acceptance of the session, including those who previously boycotted the last meeting but now have items of interest in the agenda, such as the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Defense. Will they attend the meeting or adopt a different stance?
Sources from the ministers who boycotted the last session told "Al-Liwaa" that Mikati's action of distributing the agenda to all ministers before deciding on the meeting's date is a sound and excellent constitutional procedure. "We started reviewing the agenda and will study it carefully to determine our position."
In addition, ministerial sources confirmed in a call with "Al-Anbaa" electronic that the session would be held next week at the latest, revealing that Mikati was preparing to hold a cabinet meeting this coming Friday, but the death of Al-Husseini forced him to postpone the invitation until the beginning of next week. Regarding the agenda, sources indicated two items: the first pertains to seeking approval for the financial advance for electricity under agreed-upon conditions regarding the recovery of funds to the Central Bank of Lebanon, considering previous ideas before the dollar price was raised on the Sayrafa platform to 38,000 and the increase in the dollar on the parallel market. The second item relates to the Iraqi fuel and the tender for its transport and the operation of "swap" adopted previously to unload the cargo. Sources did not rule out that Mikati might call for a session focused solely on electricity. Could this electrifying invitation cause a new conflict in the country? And the more critical question: Will Hezbollah cover it this time as well?
