Bassil Warns over 'National Accord, Partnership' after 'Article 80' Controversy

Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Friday described parliament’s controversial approval of Article 80 of the state budget as a blow to “national accord” and “partnership.”

“What happened with us regarding Article 80 of the state budget is not something minor in terms of the violation of balances, understandings and agreements,” Bassil said in a speech in Zahle.

“Article 80 should be dropped and such norms that encroach on the powers of the president, the prime minister and the minister should not be established,” he added.

“I don’t know where the interest is in awaking (sectarian) fears that we thought have become behind us,” Bassil decried, accusing some political parties of disregarding “the requirements of national accord and partnership.”

The article in question preserves the employment right of those who succeeded in Civil Service Council exams for a period of six years. The FPM says an agreement had been reached on dropping the article seeing as there would be no “sectarian balance” should those who passed the exams be appointed as civil servants.

There are conflicting reports on whether or not the article was officially dropped during parliament’s sessions on the state budget.