Kanaan: Opening Extraordinary Session is President's Authority
As political parties trade jibes over jurisdictions to open an extraordinary legislative session, Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan stressed that President Michel Aoun has the authority in line with Article 31 of the Constitution.
“The decision is up to the President. The jurisdiction is his in agreement with the Prime Minister in line with Article 31 of the Constitution,” Kanaan told VDL (93.3) on Tuesday.
“The President has proven ability to take the right decisions. He had thwarted an attempt to extend the parliament's term by using his jurisdictions in line with Article 59 of the constitution which forced everyone to work on producing a new electoral law. We have full confidence in his positions,” added Kanaan.
Kanaan's comments came one day after Speaker Nabih Berri made a rare press conference where he defended his call for an extraordinary parliament session.
Berri justified saying that although Prime Minister Saad Hariri had sent a draft decree to open an extraordinary session to Aoun, but Berri did not receive any confirmation from the president which compelled him to call for the June 5 session.
The legislature's regular session ends on May 31.
“According to Article 31 of the constitution which needs no interpretation, the jurisdictions of the president as for opening an extraordinary session are clear and untouchable,” stressed the MP.
In April, Aoun invoked his constitutional powers in line with Article 59 of the constitution suspending the parliament for one month in a bid to give conflicting political parties extra time to agree on a new law that will govern Lebanon's parliamentary elections.
Source: Naharnet
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