Parliament Session in Limbo over Boycott of MPs Questioning its Constitutionality

A three-day parliamentary session set by Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday will likely fail to convene over the boycott of March 14 alliance blocs in addition to an inclination by the Change and Reform bloc not to attend.

An al-Mustaqbal bloc source told An Nahar daily published Sunday that its lawmakers will not participate in the session in compatibility with the rest of the March 14 members.

The Lebanese Forces has considered as unlawful the parliament meetings outside its ordinary sessions. Independent Christian lawmakers led by Batroun MP Butros Harb also rejected the agenda put forward for the session.

The session has several draft-laws on its agenda, including the extension of the term of Army chief Gen. Qahwaji, who turns 60 this September, by raising the retirement age.

The major argument made by the March 14 alliance along with Premier Najib Miqati against the session is that parliament can’t convene in the presence of a caretaking cabinet although Berri claimed on Saturday that there was ample evidence of the legislature convening in the past under a resigned government.

The latest example is the extension of parliament’s term under the resigned cabinet of Miqati, Berri said.

The 128-member parliament convenes twice a year in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and the second from the middle of October through the end of December.

Article 33 of the constitution states that the president in agreement with the prime minister may summon the parliament to extraordinary sessions by a decree that specifies the dates of the opening and closing of the sessions as well as the agenda.

Sources in the Change and Reform bloc, which is a major component of the March 8 alliance, told An Nahar and al-Mustaqbal dailies that its MPs will likely not attend the session.

Even if they attend, the number of MPs present at parliament would reach 62, only three lawmakers short of the 65 required for a quorum.

The bloc's sources said that even if al-Mustaqbal and the Change and Reform attend the session and there was quorum, then Change and Reform MPs would withdraw from the parliament when Qahwaji's extension item is put for a vote.

They said the bloc leader, MP Michel Aoun, will make an official announcement during a TV interview on Sunday night.