BEIRUT: The Cabinet convened Thursday in a session aimed at testing the goodwill of political factions and their willingness to facilitate the government’s work after a two-week stoppage caused by a row over the decision-making system.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam has called on the various political factions to show flexibility and learn from past experiences that have paralyzed the government's operation.
“The activation of the government’s work in the coming phase will depend on the readiness of the political groups represented in the Cabinet to learn from the experiences of the past stumbling phase,” Salam was quoted as saying in daily as-Safir Thursday.
He urged ministers to behave in a way that serves the interests of the Lebanese people which “cannot take anymore manipulation and paralysis in this very exceptional period.”
Salam decided to call for a Cabinet session after the different factions agreed to adopt a consensus approach, rather than unanimity among all ministers, to pass Cabinet decisions.
“I hope the ministers will show enough wisdom and common sense to overcome this phase with the least possible losses,” Salam said.
He emphasized that “there is a big difference between consensus which we should pursue, and unanimity that could lead to paralysis.”
Salam has previously warned that he would not call for Cabinet sessions unless the decision-making system was amended. The controversial mechanism was adopted after the rival MPs failed to elect a successor to President Michel Suleiman last year.
Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas announced that the Cabinet will approve crucial issues during Thursday’s meeting.
“All vital issues, which cannot be delayed including [delineating] the exclusive economic zone [for Lebanon's oil sector], will be [approved] during the Cabinet meeting today,” Derbas told the Voice of Lebanon radio station before joining the session at the Grand Serail.
Machnouk doubts Aoun’s presidential chances
BEIRUT: Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, a leading member of the Future Movement, Thursday sounded downbeat on Free Patriotic Movement head Michel Aoun’s presidential chances.
“Aoun has two choice. Either he names a [different presidential candidate] or he switches to a consensus candidate, something which has yet to happen,” Machnouk told local daily As-Safir.
Machnouk said Aoun has not worked hard enough to garner sufficient support for his candidacy.
“Aoun has not made enough of an effort, because he believed it was sufficient to get the support of the Sunnis [only], given that the majority of the Shiites are on his side,” Machnouk argued. However, "there is a Christian component that cannot be ignored.”
Machnouk criticized his rivals in the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition for dealing with the March 14 bloc on the basis of one equation: “either our candidate [Aoun] or no one.”
The interior minister, however, stressed that the Future Movement“does not put a veto on any candidate.”
Army arrests ISIS commander in east Lebanon hospital BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army arrested a “dangerous” member of ISIS in a hospital in the Bekaa Valley, the National News Agency reported.
NNA said the ISIS commander, identified as Hussein Ghorli, was wounded in clashes between the Army and jihadi militants near Ras Baalbek.
ISIS militants raided Army posts on Ras Baalbek’s outskirts in January, killing eight soldiers.
A security source told The Daily Star that the militant was arrested 10 days ago at Al-Manara hospital, in Hasbaya, West Bekaa.
NNA also reported that Ghorli participated in the deadly clashes with the Army in Arsal last August and described him as “one of the most dangerous ISIS militants in the Qalamoun outskirts region.”
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