Cabinet Meets on Judiciary-Banks Clash amid Absence of Top Judicial Officials
Cabinet held an emergency session Saturday to discuss the growing standoff between the banking sector and some judges, after unprecedented measures were taken against some banks in recent days and weeks.
Prime Minister Najib Miqati had called for the session on Friday and invited the country's top judicial officials to it. The officials, however, did not attend the session.
"Based on the contacts that were made by the Justice Minister and his phone talks with me, I have decided to endorse the Justice Minister's viewpoint that Higher Judicial Council head Suheil Abboud, State Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat and Central Inspection chief Burkan Saad should not attend the session," Miqati told Cabinet on Saturday.
"The Justice Minister will follow up on the file," he added.
Miqati also warned that "the manner in which some investigations are being conducted harms the judiciary," as he called on the judicial authority to "rectify things."
"Some measures are taking dangerous directions and are affecting judicial and banking work," the premier cautioned.
Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram of Hizbullah meanwhile said that "the public opinion has suspicions that the government has moved to protect banks after having failed to move to protect depositors and people's rights," drawing a response from Miqati, who denied that and stressed that he is keen on both the law and depositors' rights.
"We were the first to call for abiding by the separation of powers... and we paid blood for that. Had it not been for our historic patience, the country would have been plunged into the unknown," Bayram added, apparently referring to Hizbullah and Amal's call for the accused officials in the port blast case to be tried before a special court and the subsequent deadly clashes in Tayyouneh.
Speaking to reporters after the session, Miqati stressed that he will not resign in the period separating us from the May 15 elections, as he noted that the Cabinet session was not aimed at protecting banks but rather institutions, the country and depositors.
Source: Naharnet
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