Cabinet Session to be Held on time but Stance of FPM Ministers Not Clear Yet

Premier Najib Miqati has met with President Michel Suleiman to discuss the agenda of Wednesday’s cabinet session as Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is expected to announce whether the ministers loyal to him would attend the meeting or not.

Suleiman’s sources told As Safir daily that the session should be held on time, saying the people’s needs should be prioritized rather than obstructing the government work.

Miqati’s sources said the premier hasn’t yet been informed whether any minister would boycott the session but stressed the government would convene at Baabda palace on time.

Ministerial sources close to Aoun said the final decision on the participation of FPM ministers would be taken during the parliamentary Change and Reform bloc meeting in Rabieh on Tuesday.

The bloc has good reason to boycott the cabinet sessions, they said. “Some things are intolerable; the ball is not in our court but it is in the court of the others without exception.”

“Every option is possible including the resignation from this government,” the sources told As Safir.

The FPM ministers have conditioned their participation in the cabinet to several demands, including the discussion of decrees on the wage boost proposed by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, the appointment of a president for the Higher Judicial Council and the approval of a series of development projects.

Nahhas’ proposed decrees are on Wednesday’s cabinet agenda. But the rest of the demands haven’t been met so far.

“A new approach should be followed in the government’s work in the next stage,” FPM ministerial sources told An Nahar, saying that if the cabinet met their demands, then the ministers would give a “more positive response.”

Despite the warning of the FPM that its ministers could boycott Wednesday’s session and even resign, its allies the Marada movement and the Tashnag party seem to be more lenient.

Marada chief Suleiman Franjieh visited Miqati at the Grand Serail on Monday in what ministerial sources said was an indication that the movement and the Tashnag were rejecting the boycott of cabinet sessions.

Marada sources told As Safir that they support Aoun in his demands but “we reject the idea of resignation from the government.”

“Franjieh is exerting efforts to reach a possible understanding and cooperation in this regard,” they said.

Tashnag sources also ruled out any resignation, saying however that the participation of its ministers in Wednesday’s session is still under discussion.