Cabinet, Parliament Paralyzed Pending EDL Contract Workers Crisis Solution
Speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday that the recent parliamentary boycott by the Christian MPs is a part of a scheme to target it and the constitution.
“They claim that it’s about Electricite du Liban’s contract workers full-time employment and safeguarding the state Treasury,” Berri told al-Joumhouria newspaper.
He denied that the crisis will lead to new political alliances, pointing out that he will not reply to the stances taken by some politicians as he is keen to resolve the crisis in a way that benefits the country during this stage.
Berri urged officials to start assuming their responsibilities.
“The interests of the country should be above any electoral interest,” he said, wondering how some officials are calling for the respect of constitution “while it’s being violated every day.”
The parliament’s approval of a decision taken by the joint parliamentary committees to permanently employee EDL contract workers created a rift between the March 8 allies, as the Free Patriotic Movement accused Hizbullah of being a “spectator” while Berri of violating the protocol.
The EDL contract workers crisis has paralyzed the parliament, as well as the cabinet.
The FPM ministers boycotted the government session to protest parliament’s approval of the joint parliamentary committee’s decision without discussing Energy Minister Jebran Bassil’s proposal, which they argue is a “clear violation” of the protocol.
Bassil told As Safir newspaper Friday that his party is “consulting with all the officials that can cooperate with them to triumph the logic of state and institutions.”
Change and Reform Minister Bassil and MP Ibrahim Kanaan held talks on Thursday with President Michel Suleiman and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to brief them about the bloc’s stance.
Bassil has previously proposed to allow 700 contract workers to stand for an official exam, out of some 2,500 employees, while the rest would become employees at private companies under a three-month probation period as the company can’t contain all of the employees.
According to As Safir newspaper, Suleiman and al-Rahi expressed their solidarity with Bassil and Kanaan.
On Tuesday, Berri decided to suspend the legislative session after the Change and Reform bloc, the Phalange party, Lebanese Forces, Ashrafiyeh and Zahle MPs boycotted the session to protest the parliament’s approval of EDL contract workers’ full-employment.
Al-Rahi, according to Change and Reform sources, stressed the importance on communication among Christians and between all the Lebanese factions.
The Christian MPs argue that the permanent employment of those workers would destabilize the sectarian balance at EDL as around 80 percent of them belong to non-Christian sects and most of them support Berri, who is a Shiite.
However, the parliament’s Bureau Committee failed to convene on Thursday as the March 14-led opposition MPs boycotted the meeting pending a “comprehensive solution.”
Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat told As Safir newspaper Friday that the opposition demanded 48 hours to coordinate its stances.
For his part, MP Marwan Hamadeh said that the March 14 forces are seeking to resolve the crisis.
A parliamentary source told al-Liwaa newspaper that the obvious issue is that there is a “problem” with Berri, who seems to be “controlling the ball.”
Berri lashed out at the March 14 forces saying that they were the ones who demanded that a meeting for the Parliament Bureau Committee be held.
EDL contract workers, who will have to sit for a closed exam, which will be held by the Civil Service Board, have been holding an open-end strike for the last three months, vowing to continue their protest until the parliamentary decision is published in the official gazette.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/45685 |