Miqati Accepts Nahhas’ Resignation
Prime Minister Najib Miqati formally received from the “Change and Reform” bloc the resignation of Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas.
Miqati’s media office stated that “After consultations between the Prime Minister and the President, the resignation of Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas has been accepted.”
PM Miqati had received Energy Minister Gebran Bassil who gave him Nahhas’ resignation from the cabinet.
The resigned Labor Minister had stated earlier Wednesday during a meeting with demonstrators who gathered outside his home in solidarity with him that “the issue was beyond political alignments.”
“We have great hopes that we will breach all party blocs and stop having the country ruled by gangs.”
Nahhas had given his resignation to Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday.
The transportation allowance decree was at the center of a dispute between Miqati and Nahhas, who refused to sign the decision for allegedly being “illegal.”
Local newspapers had said that the labor minister, who is loyal to Aoun, was expected to sign on Tuesday the controversial transportation allowance decree, averting a three-week crisis.
Aoun had said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “The dispute over the transportation allowance is now between us and Nahhas.”
“The government no longer has anything to do with the dispute and we have taken our time in handling the issue in order to preserve the rights of employers and employees,” he explained.
“We thank him for his service and high competency in his work,” added the MP.
“His circumstances no longer allow him to continue on working with us,” Aoun continued.
The FPM leader recounted the developments that led to Nahhas’ resignation, saying that two days before the government approved the wage hike, the Shura Council had convened to eliminate a number of illegal laws.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/30978 |