Consultative Gathering Refuses Stipulations in Return for International Assistance on Refugees

The Consultative Gathering bloc urged Lebanon's lawmakers to attend the parliament's session next week aimed at ending the vacuum at presidential post, and reiterated rejection to conditions set during the donors conference on Syria that Lebanon opens its labor market for the refugees in return for assistance.

“The Consultative Gathering calls on all MPs to take part in the February 8 session,which is going to be different from all its predecessors after the disclosure of the vast majority of MPs about their electoral inclinations which should facilitate the presidential election process,” said the statement recited by information Minister Ramzi Jreij.

“The Gathering warns against the consecration of obstruction which jeopardizes the first state post, destroys the constitution and turns the parliament into a mail box for counting votes,” it added, referring to the vacuum at the presidential post that has been lingering for almost 20 months today.

The meeting was held at the residence of the head's Gathering former president Michel Suleiman in the presence of Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb, Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon, Minister of Displaced Alice Shabtini, Sports and Youth Minister Abdel Motleb Hennawi, Economy Minister Alain Hakim, Kataeb party leader MP Sami Gemayel and former Minister Khalil al-Hrawi.

On the donors conference on Syria held in London a day earlier, the statement read: “The bloc hails the donors' conference and is interested to confirm that it rejects conditions being set for providing Lebanon with assistance in return for opening the labor market for the Syrian refugees.

“It would pose a competition the Lebanese working force at a time when unemployment is rising and the economic crisis is aggravating in the country,” it stressed.

The conference raised over 10 billion dollars in aid to the Syrian refugees.

The Syrian conflict, which erupted in 2011, has forced 4.6 million Syrians to seek refuge in nearby countries -- Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt -- while hundreds of thousands have journeyed to Europe in the region's biggest migration crisis since World War II.

Lebanon alone supports around 1.5 million refugees.

The Consultative Gathering interlocutors however added that the “Syrian labor force is welcome, but within Lebanon's labor market needs and under the Lebanese labor law and applicable regulations.”

They urged the international community to develop a program that allows the return of the displaced to Syria in parallel with the assistance programs.

The statement of the Gathering came after a statement issued by head of the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, Ambassador Christina Lassen that highlighted some programs proposed by the Lebanese government to help the Syrian refugees work in certain sectors, such as agriculture and construction.

The issue has left some people jittery over fears that the displaced Syrians will remain in Lebanon similar to the Palestinian refugees.

“Even if there were peace (in Syria) tomorrow, they won’t be going immediately,” she said.

D.A.

M.T.