Cabinet Approves Mechanism Allowing Expats to Vote in Polls
The government approved on Wednesday a mechanism that would allow Lebanese expatriates to vote in the 2013 parliamentary elections and approved a reduction in the weight of the Arabic bread pack to appease bakeries.
The government is scheduled to hold a meeting at the Grand Serail next Wednesday to discuss the details of the mechanism and ways to implement it, Information Minister Walid al-Daouq told reporters after the session held at the presidential palace.
Another session will be held at Baabda palace next Thursday, he said.
The government approved to reduce the weight of the bread bundle by 100 grams and keep its price at LL1,500.
The bread pack will now weigh 900 grams to satisfy bakeries that have been complaining of the rise in the prices of raw material.
The Bakeries Union suspended its open-ended strike last week after it struck a deal with Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas, who promised to subsidize flour with LL70,000.
Bakeries are now receiving a ton of flour at the cost of LL440,000 instead of LL510,000.
The cabinet, however, failed on Wednesday to reach agreement on ways to legalize a controversial $5.9 billion extra-budgetary spending bill.
If the legislature fails to approve it again, then the appropriate decision would be taken, al-Daouq quoted President Michel Suleiman as telling the ministers.
Suleiman suggested that Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi redraft it and later refer it for approval by the parliament which previously failed to do so over differences between the March 8 majority and March 14 opposition.
Several parties have urged Suleiman to sign the bill under article 58 of the constitution which allows him to issue a bill deemed urgent by the government after the failure of the legislature to approve it within forty days following its transfer to the chamber of deputies and its inclusion on the agenda of the discussions.
But the president has stressed that parliament should play its role in that regard.
The cabinet tasked al-Safadi with paying the salaries of state employees after fears that the government would fail to do so if the $5.9 billion bill was not adopted.
Discussions on the spending took more than one hour, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said, a sign that cabinet ministers are divided over the issue.
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