Report: Cabinet Could Convene on Saturday if Garbage Crisis Resolved

The cabinet could convene again Saturday if the dispute on the controversial proposal on the treatment of solid waste was resolved by then, An Nahar daily reported.

The newspaper said Friday that Prime Minister Tammam Salam has expressed severe frustration over the obstacles placed in front of the proposal despite an earlier agreement reached between Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq and Kataeb Party representatives.

On Thursday, Salam vowed, following the five-hour cabinet meeting, not to hold more sessions before consensus was reached on the plan.

The cabinet was paralyzed after the Kataeb ministers objected to several aspects of the plan to treat solid waste.

The plan divides Lebanon into five blocs and requests the Council of Development and Reconstruction to launch tenders to sign contracts with companies to collect and treat solid waste in several areas.

According to An Nahar, the main point of contention in Thursday's cabinet session lied on whether the state or the contractor would choose the location of the dumps and their treatment.

The failure to strike a deal on the treatment of waste threatens to flood streets with trash.

On January 17, the contract with Sukleen, which is the company responsible for collecting dumps, expires.

According to a previous government decision, the authorities should also close by that date the Naameh landfill that lies in the Shouf district south of Beirut.

There is as well a dispute among cabinet members on the closure of the dump.

G.K.

H.K.