Cabinet Refers Bombings, Booby-Trapped Cars' Cases to Judicial Council

The council of ministers decided on Friday to refer all bombings and all cases of booby-trapped cars to the Judicial Council.

The ministers also discussed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's summons of al-Jadeed television ad al-Akhabar daily's journalists, expressing their keenness on preserving freedom of the press, but noting at the same time that the STL's internal system allows it to summon media personalities.

"We have agreed on referring all the criminal and terrorist bombings and the cases of booby-trapped cars to the Justice Council,” Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq said after the cabinet's session.

Several regions in Lebanon, particularly Beirut's southern suburbs and the Bekaa, have recently been targeted with deadly bombings that resulted in the death of dozens of civilians and army troops.

At the beginning of Friday's ministerial session, Prime Minister Tammam Salam stated that his cabinet was not formed “to fill a vacuum.”

"We are keen on holding the presidential elections on time,” he said.

Radio Voice of Lebanon (100.5) reported that Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi asked the cabinet to follow-up on the presidential vote, and to call on all political forces to attend the parliamentary session to assure the necessary quorum required for electing a president.

Salam also assured that the military institution is continuing to implement the security plan, stressing the “state's interest in development in the (northern city of) Tripoli.”

Responding to reporters' questions on STL's summons of al-Jadeed Karma al-Khayat and al-Akhbar's Ibrahim al-Amin, al-Mashnouq said the issue was discussed in the session, and that ministers agreed on safeguarding press freedom.

"Freedom of the press must be preserved according to Lebanese laws, but we did not discuss the STL's powers regarding the summons,” he said.

"This is a matter related to its internal system,” he explained.

MTV and al-jadeed reported that a dispute erupted between Hizbullah's ministers and Information Minister Ramzi Jreij over this issue during the cabinet's meeting.

But al-Mashnouq denied such reports.

VDL also said no disagreement took place, adding that Jreij had left the session because he had other commitments.

"What happened was just a mere exchange of points of views,” it remarked.

STL announced on Thursday that it has summoned al-Khayat and al-Amin on chages of “contempt and obstruction of justice.”

The Environment Minister revealed that a committee on refugees has started preparing an all-inclusive study on this case.

But Salam said that the study was concluded, and that it will be placed on the agenda of the upcoming session.

S.D.B.