Officials Exerting Efforts to Resolve $5.9 Billion Spending

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Tuesday that he would sign the $5.9 billion extra-budgetary spending bill if the necessary modifications were carried out.

“The campaign against me is useless,” Suleiman stated in an interview with al-Liwaa newspaper.

He said that the damage doesn’t only target him, but the citizens also.

On statements by Speaker Nabih Berri that hinted that some constitutional authorities have been given to the head of state to resolve financial issues, hinting that Suleiman is refusing to use his jurisdictions to resolve the dispute over the $5.9 billion spending bill, the president said that “signing the bill is unconstitutional.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun previously accused the president of forcing the government to violate the constitution by spending illegally in an attempt to appease the March 14-led opposition in its demands to find a comprehensive solution to the extra-budgetary spending made since 2005, the last time Lebanon had an official state budget.

Meanwhile, the cabinet session, which is scheduled to be held at the Baabda Palace on Wednesday, is expected to tackle the controversial bill.

However, ministerial sources told al-Liwaa that Prime Minister Najib Miqati might postpone the discussions over the bill until he reaches consensus among officials in an attempt to avert a crisis.