Political clashes continue to overshadow the work of the caretaker government, which already has limited powers, hindering its sessions despite issues that some consider urgent and in need of a cabinet meeting. This includes the electricity plan, which has become a persistent point of contention between Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the "Free Patriotic Movement," which has taken a leading role in opposing any call for a cabinet meeting, having boycotted the last one and classifying it as a "violation of the constitution."
While information indicated that Mikati was consulting regarding a cabinet meeting, governmental sources confirmed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that there is currently no decision to hold a session soon, and the matter remains subject to discussion and assessment of urgent items. Referring to the campaign launched by the "Free Patriotic Movement" against Mikati, sources indicated, "Everything being discussed comes within the framework of a fictitious battle waged by certain parties." They noted that "when the need arises to hold a session based on urgent issues, Mikati will take action," placing the onus on the "Free Patriotic Movement" in response to criticisms directed at the caretaker prime minister regarding the lack of progress on the electricity plan.
The sources posed a question back to the "Free Patriotic Movement," asking if its ministers would be ready to participate in a cabinet session to approve a decree for the electricity plan’s appropriations if a meeting were called. Notably, Mikati's office published a document in response to former Minister of Energy and current member of the "Free Patriotic Movement," Nada al-Boustani, who reiterated her rejection of a cabinet meeting. The document showed an exceptional approval from the prime minister to open appropriations to secure fuel for Electricité du Liban, but also clearly indicated the necessity for a decree regarding the mentioned advance, thus underscoring the need for a cabinet session to issue the decree.
The division in Lebanon persists over the operational limits of the caretaker government, especially amid the presidential vacuum and the constitutional disagreement regarding the transfer of powers from the President to it. Most Christian groups view it as an infringement on presidential powers, whereas other factions argue that cabinet sessions are necessary to manage public affairs, especially amid ongoing crises. This topic was addressed by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who stated on Twitter, "The major sovereign forces and authorities use flimsy constitutional arguments to obstruct any ministerial meeting to manage public affairs, and some even attacked the budget, leading to complete disruption. They all await the external password that has yet to come, and in the meantime, the halt of the military council brings disputes to the surface."
Discussions surrounding the potential for a cabinet meeting were the focus of a call made by "Socialist" MP Bilal Abdullah to Mikati recently, as he followed up on the Naameh landfill issue (in Mount Lebanon), after it became apparent that the party responsible for maintenance had not received its dues for over a year and needed a contract renewal through a decree from the cabinet as well. Abdullah urged Prime Minister Mikati to include this issue in the agenda for the nearest cabinet meeting, "in order to ensure the safety of the residents surrounding the landfill and guarantee its continued operation."
Based on this and other urgent issues, Abdullah told "Asharq Al-Awsat": "We are not against consultations for holding a cabinet meeting, but if there are urgent matters related to the management of public affairs, steps must be taken in that direction, free from political vindictiveness. Those who exploit people's suffering for political gain and prevent the holding of a cabinet meeting are responsible." He added, "It is called a caretaker government, and it must fulfill its duties concerning matters that affect the people in educational, health, and social issues," reminding that if the last cabinet meeting had occurred about two weeks ago and taken decisions related to health, hospitals, and medicine, the situation would have been much worse than it is today.
It is worth noting that the last cabinet meeting, which made decisions related to hospital appropriations and others, was attended by ministers aligned with Mikati, "Hezbollah," and the "Amal" movement, while ministers from the "Free Patriotic Movement" boycotted it, with the movement's leader MP Gibran Bassil launching an attack on Mikati and "Hezbollah," describing the session as unconstitutional and lacking legitimacy. This meeting was the cause of a dispute between the allies, as "Hezbollah" issued a statement affirming that "no one has been denied attendance at cabinet meetings," in response to Bassil, who spoke of "the honest who broke the promise and guarantee," while also reminding that they support holding sessions in cases of necessity and urgent needs.
