Deputy PM refuses to be a mere guest of honor in the cabinet of ministers
Source: Al-Manar TV, 22-10-2008
.... While Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Saniora was preoccupied in denying that Lebanon and the Resistance have achieved victory against the Zionist entity and abolishing the so-called ministerial solidarity principle, his deputy Issam Abu Jamra was fed up with Saniora's continuous neglecting of a serious discussion of deputy prime minister powers.
But, since everything has limits, Abu Jamra finally decided to raise his voice and express his firm opposition to the policy of undermining his authorities mainly because he refuses to be a mere guest of honour in the cabinet of ministers.
Thus, the deputy PM walked out of the cabinet meeting on Tuesday to protest against failure to agree on his powers or at least against the refusal even to put a topic on the agenda of the cabinet's meeting.
"I have left the cabinet in protest on an important issue, which was the refusal to put a topic on the agenda of the cabinet's meeting despite my requests for one or two months," Abu Jamra said, noting that it has not been mentioned and there has been no clear response to the minister, written or verbally. "Meanwhile we notice on the agenda secondary routine topics to the extent that ministers feel sleepy in the end," he said.
Abu Jamra highlighted that the deputy PM should really be a deputy to the Prime Minister. He said that the decree on organizing the work of the cabinet did not mention this position, and it should be amended in such a way that the name of the deputy PM should be written as it is and he should replace the PM when absent and should perform his duties from the Serai. "The deputy PM should not stay at home," he said.
Abu Jamra told Lebanese daily As-Safir that he has decided to boycott cabinet sessions from now on, until his proposal is put on the cabinet agenda. He said that his attendance in the future cabinet meetings would be related to the present situation. "If these topics are discussed, I will surely attend," he announced.
Meanwhile, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted well-informed sources as saying that Abu Jamra has challenged Saniora during the cabinet meeting, daring him "to venture out on the streets because all the people are against you, even Saudi Arabia."
According to the daily, the deputy PM accused Saniora of "crippling coexistence and violating the Constitution," but went beyond that, demanding his "prosecution".
The daily also quoted government sources as saying that President Michel Suleiman supports Abu Jamra's demands and has not objected to the issue.
Abu Jamra denied he has coordinated his decision with the opposition ministers and said that the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc wasn't aware of the decision ahead of time.
But Telecommunications minister Gebran Bassil hinted, according to As-Safir, that his colleagues in the Opposition were likely to boycott cabinet meetings to express their solidarity with Abu Jamra if Saniora didn't harmonize with him.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Tarek Mitri claimed that he was unaware of the reasons behind Abu Jamra's withdrawal from the meeting as Siniora's stance was clear according to Mitri.
Reading the cabinet meeting minutes, Mitri said that Saniora began the meeting by calling on the cabinet to appoint three replacements for MPs who were no longer members of the Constitutional Council as they had been appointed ministerial positions.
Saniora's letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on "Israeli" threats, FM Fawzi Salloukh's visit to Syria earlier this month and the Lebanese-Syrian agreement to exchange embassies were also major topics of discussion in the cabinet session, as was the problem of forest fires in Lebanon
The global financial crisis was also on the agenda, and while PM underlined that Lebanon had not been affected by the crisis, cooperation between the private and public sector and caution were in order, Saniora has reportedly said.
.... While Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Saniora was preoccupied in denying that Lebanon and the Resistance have achieved victory against the Zionist entity and abolishing the so-called ministerial solidarity principle, his deputy Issam Abu Jamra was fed up with Saniora's continuous neglecting of a serious discussion of deputy prime minister powers.
But, since everything has limits, Abu Jamra finally decided to raise his voice and express his firm opposition to the policy of undermining his authorities mainly because he refuses to be a mere guest of honour in the cabinet of ministers.
Thus, the deputy PM walked out of the cabinet meeting on Tuesday to protest against failure to agree on his powers or at least against the refusal even to put a topic on the agenda of the cabinet's meeting.
"I have left the cabinet in protest on an important issue, which was the refusal to put a topic on the agenda of the cabinet's meeting despite my requests for one or two months," Abu Jamra said, noting that it has not been mentioned and there has been no clear response to the minister, written or verbally. "Meanwhile we notice on the agenda secondary routine topics to the extent that ministers feel sleepy in the end," he said.
Abu Jamra highlighted that the deputy PM should really be a deputy to the Prime Minister. He said that the decree on organizing the work of the cabinet did not mention this position, and it should be amended in such a way that the name of the deputy PM should be written as it is and he should replace the PM when absent and should perform his duties from the Serai. "The deputy PM should not stay at home," he said.
Abu Jamra told Lebanese daily As-Safir that he has decided to boycott cabinet sessions from now on, until his proposal is put on the cabinet agenda. He said that his attendance in the future cabinet meetings would be related to the present situation. "If these topics are discussed, I will surely attend," he announced.
Meanwhile, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted well-informed sources as saying that Abu Jamra has challenged Saniora during the cabinet meeting, daring him "to venture out on the streets because all the people are against you, even Saudi Arabia."
According to the daily, the deputy PM accused Saniora of "crippling coexistence and violating the Constitution," but went beyond that, demanding his "prosecution".
The daily also quoted government sources as saying that President Michel Suleiman supports Abu Jamra's demands and has not objected to the issue.
Abu Jamra denied he has coordinated his decision with the opposition ministers and said that the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc wasn't aware of the decision ahead of time.
But Telecommunications minister Gebran Bassil hinted, according to As-Safir, that his colleagues in the Opposition were likely to boycott cabinet meetings to express their solidarity with Abu Jamra if Saniora didn't harmonize with him.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Tarek Mitri claimed that he was unaware of the reasons behind Abu Jamra's withdrawal from the meeting as Siniora's stance was clear according to Mitri.
Reading the cabinet meeting minutes, Mitri said that Saniora began the meeting by calling on the cabinet to appoint three replacements for MPs who were no longer members of the Constitutional Council as they had been appointed ministerial positions.
Saniora's letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on "Israeli" threats, FM Fawzi Salloukh's visit to Syria earlier this month and the Lebanese-Syrian agreement to exchange embassies were also major topics of discussion in the cabinet session, as was the problem of forest fires in Lebanon
The global financial crisis was also on the agenda, and while PM underlined that Lebanon had not been affected by the crisis, cooperation between the private and public sector and caution were in order, Saniora has reportedly said.
