Salam Inclined to Convene Cabinet as Pharaon Urges Postponing Session

Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon of the March 14 camp on Saturday called on Prime Minister Tammam Salam to postpone next week's cabinet session amid the continued boycott of the ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement and the Tashnag Party.

"Issuing decrees amid the presidential vacuum and the absence of the Christian components would be very dangerous," said Pharaon in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

Pharaon, however, warned the FPM against resorting to street protests under the excuse of protecting sectarian interests, noting that “the street cannot achieve any results.”

“The solution lies in continuing dialogue to alleviate the intensity of the crises and to agree on a mechanism aimed at maintaining regularity in state institutions,” he added.

Ministerial sources meanwhile told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Saturday that the premiership's general secretariat is expected to distribute the agenda of Thursday's cabinet session later in the day, which indicates that “there is no intention to postpone it.”

“Prior to his travel, Salam instructed the director general of the presidency and the cabinet's secretary general, who are preparing the agenda, to avoid listing any controversial item that might draw provocative responses,” the sources said.

The sources also noted that “it is important to know the fate of the regular decrees that were passed in the previous session” against which the FPM has filed an appeal with the State Council.

“The possibility that the boycotting ministers will sign them will be explored, knowing that the signatures of the ministers who were present in the session are enough to issue them,” the sources added.

“However, this hinges on the signatures of Hizbullah's two ministers, so that the constitutional steps would be complete in this regard,” the sources clarified.

Senior FPM officials have warned that the movement would take gradual escalation measures that might take the form of resigning from the cabinet, boycotting national dialogue, resorting to the judiciary or taking to the streets in popular demonstrations.

The FPM's latest boycott of the cabinet is linked to the thorny issue of military and security appointments.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel has recently postponed the retirement of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir after no consensus was reached over three candidates that he had proposed, angering the FPM which says that it opposes term extensions for all senior officers.

The movement fears that the extension of Kheir's term could pave the way for a new extension of the tenure of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji next month.

Qahwaji's retirement had been postponed in September 2013 and his term was instead extended for two years.