Resumption of Parliament Activities Stirs Calls for Long-Standing Demands

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The parliament convened on Thursday for the second day in a row after meeting for two, evening and morning, rounds a day earlier to discuss and approve pressing draft laws, but not the controversial electoral law.

The parliament passed a law pertaining to the right of access to information which was submitted by MP Ghassan Mokhayber.

It also passed an old rent law and added a paragraph pertaining to establishing a state-fund for tenants to benefit from.

After the evening round, Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the legislative session to next Thursday.

The parliament held its first legislative session in 2017 on Wednesday after quorum was met with 65 lawmakers. Speaker Nabih Berri chaired the meetings.

It approved 19 bills out of the 73 draft laws on its agenda. The controversial electoral law was not on the agenda.

Most of the laws that have been approved by the parliament are related to international treaties and proposals between Lebanon and foreign parties, reports have said.

Ahead of Thursday's session, part-time employees at the Information Ministry held a sit-in outside the parliament's premises in Down Town Beirut, protesting the parliament's failure to approve draft laws that make them full-time employees.

The requested draft laws allow the employees to benefit from the pension system and the civil servant's cooperative assistance.

For that purpose, Information Minister Melhem Riachi held a meeting with Head of the parliamentary media committee MP Hassan Fadlallah and Speaker Nabih Berri.

They agreed to discuss with PM Saad Hariri the potential for separating the issue of full-employment for contract employees at the Information ministry from contract workers in other ministries.

However, Hariri stated that he needs 10-day period to study the file, which was strongly opposed by the campaigners. They vowed to extend their protest, and suspended activity at the state-run National News Agency and the state-run Radio Liban shall the parliament fail to meet their demands.

Another controversial law discussed at parliament was the old rent law that calls for an increase in rents over a six-year period until they reach 5 percent of their current value.

Tenants of old rent law buildings have slammed the draft law and reject the increase, saying that it will force many of them to leave their houses because they would not be able to afford the new rent.

The owners of the buildings, on the other hand, say the law paves the way for better ties with tenants.

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