Gov’t Approves Wage’s Decree, Encouraging Offshore Gas Results
Mikati : Keen on Ties With Hizbullah, Not Afraid of Gov't's Destiny
Feltman in Beirut: President Not to Meet Him
Out of the ribs he appeared, from the heart of heart.
Eyes were eager to see him.
There he was among the crowd and to the whole world a clear message: Here's the grandson of Imam Hussein, carrying some of his determination and some of Abbas' courage.
With high fists and dropped tears the crowd received him .Smiles were drawn on the faces and the tears mingled with prays of loved ones greeting him.
Here he is and will never leave the heart's field and the spirit's will.
"Israeli" surveillance jets understood the message advising their masters to bring them back to the rats' digs: The Secretary General of Hizbullah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared from nowhere and he's among a sea of followers.
Sayyed Nasrallah: Surprises' Maker
As the Zionist enemy circles were busy the last two days analyzing public appearance of His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in the tenth day of Ashura, the military leadership tried to mitigate the impact of the shock on the "Israeli" public.
In Beirut the pictures of His Eminence were the top of all Lebanese papers that reflected the "Israeli" concern of Sayyed Nasrallah's appearance.
At the internal level, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced Thursday that he is keen to have ideal ties with Hizbullah and to preserve his relation with President Michel Suleiman.
In an interview with "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper, Mikati confirmed that his relations with Hizbullah could neither deteriorate or retreat nor reach the stage of no confidence."
Assuring that he doesn't fear the government's collapse, PM hoped that "the government would start to be more productive after it held a session and approved a wage boost for public and private sector employees on Wednesday."
Emphasizing the necessity to solve the false witnesses issue by setting it on the cabinets, Mikati informed "as-Safir" that "the issue cannot be discussed until the appointment of a head for the Higher Judicial Council."
PM also commented on "Change and Reform Bloc" Head General Michel Aoun call to reform by saying: "If he wants a meter of reforms, I want a kilometer but things don't happen completely by one move."
"Reform starts from here and not from any other place," Mikati added, stressing that he "doesn't respond to attempts of pressure."
Calling for "cooperation to find solutions to the crisis of management and ways to fight corruption," PM informed that "he decided with Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi not to propose new taxes in the budget, because in this circumstance we do not want any taxes."
Gov't Approves Mikati's Salary Decree
Meanwhile, Lebanese government approved Wednesday the long-awaited salary increase decree hiking minimum wage by LL100,000 to LL600,000, salaries under LL1 million by 30 percent up to a LL200,000 increase, and salaries above LL1 million by a 20 percent increase up to LL275,000.
The decree was passed after Mikati proposed an alternative to Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas' salary package which apparently did not have sufficient support.
Most ministers favored Mikati's proposal with only seven of "Change and Reform" ministers voted against it.
"The formula approved by the government is not in favor of the workers and economic institutions," Nahhas told "as-Safir".
He also described PM's proposal as "unexpected and prepared outside legal and normal frameworks."
For his Part, Energy minister Gibran Bassil viewed that "Mikati blew the government's chance to approve a comprehensive decree on wages and allowances."
Considering that "the government's approval of the PM's proposal is a failure," Bassil considered that "this was a bad mark added to the cabinet's performance."
"But still we would give it time to improve its productivity," Bassil stressed.
In parallel, "Change and Reform" minister Freije Sabounjian who voted in favor of the proposal announced that "his step came as he was convinced with the numbers that Mikati presented."
"I acted according to my convictions," Sabounjian told "as-Safir" daily, adding that "the Nahhas' plan is difficult to implement, especially amid Lebanon's economic situation and the recession that the entire world is suffering."
Sabounjian also unveiled that during his meeting with industrialists "they warned against any wage raise that is not well researched and which could lead to the closure of a large number of factories."
Commenting on the same topic, State Minister for Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish declared that "Hizbullah's ministers did not vote against the labor minister's project because the project was not voted on in the first place."
"We voted on Mikati's plan and Hizbullah ministers said that they are not against it," he clarified.
Noting that "Nahhas' plan is not limited to the wage raise, but includes also several social projects that were well approached," Fneish stated to "as-Safir" that "these projects need to be discussed further, especially since approving them requires some law amendments."
At the same level, Head of Labor Union Ghassan Ghoson announced the LU's rejection to the government's decree.
"We reject this humiliating wage boost because it doesn't reach out to the hopes of the workers and their demands," Ghosn told "an-Nahar" daily.
Threatening to return to general strike, he announced that he will call for a meeting for the LU's executive council to take the necessary measures."
Bassil: Encouraging Offshore Gas Results
At another Lebanese concern, Energy Minister Gibran Bassil said Wednesday that "preliminary results regarding the presence of gas in Lebanese waters have been very encouraging."
"The initial results allow us to move on to a new stage which would help us collecting more precise and verified data regarding offshore gas before the exploration and drilling phase," he uncovered.
Bassil was speaking to reporters following a meeting with a representative of Armada Energy and after inking a contract with Beicip Franlab, an International Oil and Gas Consulting and Software Solutions Provider.
In another context, President Suleiman has reportedly snubbed visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.
"An-Nahar" daily said Thursday that "the presidential palace did not set a date for talks between Suleiman and Feltman as retaliation to the failure to hold any meeting between the Lebanese head of a state and US officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September."
The visiting US diplomat held talks with PM Mikati and several "March 14" figures.
Handing Mikati a letter from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which, according to the newspaper, she expressed "gladness that the PM had transferred Lebanon's share of funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Clinton claimed US commitment to the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon.
"The implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701 in addition to the full cooperation with the STL fall in Lebanon's interest and contribute to regional stability," she said.
"Al-Binaa" Lebanese daily reported Thursday that "Feltman is working on the implementation of the Lebanese part of the Arab League sanctions imposed on yria, and his role is focused on a quest to increase the siege on Damascus by preventing the transport of goods to and from Lebanon."
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
