Aoun Waits Developments, Suleiman Expresses Relief, Berri: Let us Wait
The Lebanese Labor Minister's journey in the government was similar to Alice's journey in the wonderland.
Parliamentary Battle: Decree to Pass or Back to Gov't?
And between the magic rabbits and hidden pockets the only remaining fact is that: Charbel Nahhas made it.
The bitchy man violated all the expected and said his word hours ahead of the scheduled legislative parliamentary session.
He simply resigned and went away from political compromises.
To some, Nahhas is the victim hero and to others the minister isn't a good reader in the Lebanese book of politics.
He is a man from a different era and thus he felt in the trap of hidden snitches.
Nahhas Resigned, Aoun Waits
In details, Lebanese Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas handed Tuesday his resignation to Head of "Change and Reform Bloc" MP Michel Aoun refusing to sign the transportation allowance controversial decree.
"I have not decided yet whether to accept this resignation and send it to the government. Once I send it, you can say that I have accepted it," Aoun said.
After the weekly meeting of his bloc, Aoun confirmed that "he sought to reach a legal solution on the decree of transportation allowances, which Nahhas refused to sign."
High lighting that "an agreement was reached between him and house Speaker Nabih Berri followed by an agreement with Prime Minister Najib Mikati," Aoun unveiled that "the minister placed the decree and the appeal letter on the same page."
"Therefore, he did not sign it on two pages like we wanted and a dispute erupted between him and the bloc," Head of the bloc stressed.
"His circumstances no longer allow him to continue on working with us," Aoun continued pointing out that "We have respected the law and, with all respect to Nahhas, no one's will is more powerful than the Change and Reform bloc."
Parliamentary sources in "Change and Reform bloc" informed the Lebanese dailies that MP Alain Aoun failed in more than three hours to convince Nahhas to sign the Cabinet's decision on the transportation allowance, preferring to sign his resignation letter and putting it at the disposal of the bloc's leader.
According to "al-Akhbar" paper, "Nahhas realized that the road to Rabieh was blocked when he called last week to make an appointment with Aoun."
"The person who picked up the phone on the other side told him Aoun was busy Monday and Tuesday. Nahhas got the message: "Sign and then object," it added.
For its part, "al-Joumhoryia" newspaper quoted Nahhas sources as informing that he expressed his "extreme displeasure with what has happened within the "Change and Reform Bloc" and not within the government," adding that "an organized campaign targeted him from the outside and inside."
The sources pointed out that "Nahhas made his decisive decision to resign after deep thought, and that he chose the decision that is in harmony with his convictions, and in line with the ongoing struggle in the defense of people's rights."
Meanwhile, as the atmosphere remains foggy concerning whether Aoun is to accept Nahhas' resignation or not, it seems that the latter is waiting for the track of Wednesday's parliamentary session.
Nahhas' resignation came on the eve of a crucial parliamentary meeting which is expected to vote Wednesday on two draft laws: one prepared by MP Ibrahim Kanaan and another by Future Bloc MP Nabil de Freij.
According to "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper, "Aoun decided to retain the letter of resignation and keep it on hold until the path of the legislative session turns clear and until he ensures that the proposed law presented by Kanaan will pass."
Confirming information that the parliamentary majority forces were seeking to garner majority support for his draft-law, Kannan told "an-Nahar" that his "draft-law is a solution and guarantees the continued work of the cabinet."
For his part, House Speaker Nabih Berri rejected to comment on Nahhas's resignation saying only that "General Aoun's speech in his press conference is 100 % sound correct."
"It demonstrates the depth of the responsible leadership especially when he announced that the resignation of the Labor minister is to be submitted to the Council of Ministers," Berri said in an interview with "an-Nahar" daily.
Concerning the scheduled legislative session, Berri said: "The time is still ahead of us, and after the resignation of the Labor minister things are to be evaluated."
In a related context, "an-Nahar" unveiled that "Tuesday night communications led to a trend to withdrew the bill of transportation allowance if Nahhas' resignation is not send to Mikati before the parliamentary meeting."
"Berri may delay the session or veto the submitted projects under the title that the bill is to be returned to the government for an alternative decree to be agreed upon, based on Baabda deal with economic bodies."
In parallel, President Michel Suleiman described Nahhas' resignation as a "good step and a constitutional one if it is true and not part of a political maneuver."
He also told MTV channel that "placing the resignation at the discretion of General Michel Aoun does not mean it is official because it has not been submitted to the relevant authority."
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
