'War of signatures' erupts between Mikati, FPM
A fresh war of words has broken out between caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Free Patriotic Movement over signatures related to governmental decrees.
In a statement issued overnight, the FPM accused Mikati of “staging an act of forgery and using forgery in the issuance of unconstitutional and illegal decrees that contravene the National Pact,” charging that the premier has forged the signatures of the ministers of social affairs and defense on two decrees.
“Lebanon has never witnessed in its history such a fraudulent approach and it does not befit the position of the premiership, not to mention that it subjects its culprits to legal prosecution. What’s more dangerous is that it violates the National Pact, the constitution and the law at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them,” the FPM added.
Mikati was swift to hit back, stressing that the FPM’s accusations are “totally baseless” and insisting that caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar had signed one of the decrees in question and that he “did not express any objection or unacceptance of the decree’s content.”
“He has even rushed to implement its content,” Mikati added.
As for the decree related to the Defense Ministry, the FPM said that caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim had sent the premiership a draft decree carrying his signature and containing a blank space for “the signatures of the 24 ministers,” accusing Mikati of issuing “another version of the decree” that carried the signatures of “the premier (several times!) and the ministers of finance, defense and interior.”
Mikati, however, clarified that “the issued decree was the same one sent and signed by the Defense Minister” and that the premier and the ministers of finance and interior added their signatures to it before it was issued without the signatures of the rest of ministers, “seeing as the constitution does not stipulate the mandatory signatures of all ministers.”
And accusing the FPM of insisting on “obstructing the work of institutions,” Mikati lamented that the Movement is now “settling political and non-political scores with the military and security institutions.”
The FPM has repeatedly warned against holding any caretaker cabinet session amid the ongoing presidential vacuum, arguing that any decree issued during the presidential void would require the signatures of all ministers.
Source: Naharnet
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