Aridi Ends Boycott of Cabinet Sessions after Approval of his Ministry’s Funds
President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi signed decrees to provide funds to Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi, who has been boycotting cabinet sessions over the past three weeks, An Nahar daily reported Saturday.
The newspaper said that Suleiman, Miqati and Safadi signed the decrees at Baabda palace on Friday.
When contacted by An Nahar, Aridi said he telephoned the president and the PM to thank them and announced that his boycott of the government sessions had ended.
The minister praised them for meeting his “rightful” requests, saying that the funds had been previously approved by the cabinet.
Last week, Aridi accused the finance ministry and Miqati of going back on their promise to finance the public works ministry’s projects.
Out of seven advance payments, the ministry only received two, said Aridi at a press conference.
But Safadi snapped back, saying Aridi’s remarks were unjust.
He “knows more than anyone else that the public works ministry exceeded the ceiling set in the 2010 budget and the draft 2011 budget,” Safadi said, adding “he is now asking again to exceed it by large amounts.”
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