By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: The dispute between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has disappointed those who hoped their row would subside and that Cabinet would convene, as sources close to the prime minister said that this year’s budget was ready and the government should take action. Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement have been refusing to allow the Cabinet to meet since Oct. 12, demanding the removal of a judge who is investigating 2020’s devastating explosion at Beirut Port. With Parliament expected to convene in an extraordinary session starting Monday, politicians appeared to mourn the Aoun-Berri settlement, which they felt was “stillborn.” MP Ali Darwish said that Prime Minister Najib Mikati was counting “on the sense of patriotism of those boycotting Cabinet sessions to attend.” Darwish is a member of the Independent Center bloc headed by Mikati. “The discussion of the budget is a constitutional right that cannot be avoided,” Darwish told Arab News. When Mikati received the budget from the Ministry of Finance, he would call for a Cabinet session to study it and refer it to Parliament, the lawmaker said. “I think that attending the Cabinet session is necessary. Discussing the budget is a crucial constitutional duty to meet people’s needs and approve spending policy,” he added.

Sources close to Mikati said that the budget was ready and the government should take action, which necessitates a Cabinet session and opening an extraordinary session of Parliament since legislation is required to keep pace with the work of the government. The country’s election law has entered into force, and the Ministry of Interior has decided that elections will be held mid-May. The Lebanese people and the international community are counting on these elections to bring about change in the ruling authority. That Aoun requested to include an item related to the election law on the agenda of parliament’s extraordinary session has raised questions about the possibility of disrupting these elections under the pretext of making new amendments. “The election law is now in effect and any amendment cannot be related to the date of holding the elections,” said Darwish.

NNA – Former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, contacted by phone President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, after the call received by …

by dw.com -- Jennifer Holleis, Razan Salman -- Crises-hit Lebanon has started this year with a tough first week. This Tuesday, the exchange rate hit another all-time low with 30,000 Lebanese pounds worth just $1 on the black market. Officially, the pound is pegged to the dollar, but the fixed rate has effectively become meaningless in the country's protracted economic crisis. Also, a heated spat between Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Salman has once more ignited diplomatic tensions between Lebanon and its ally Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Nasrallah had called King Salman a terrorist in a televised speech marking the occasion of the second anniversary of the assassination of the Iranian Commander Qassem Suleimani. Prior to this, King Salman had called on the Lebanese to "to end the terrorist Hezbollah control" of Lebanon. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati was quick to issue a statement, which not only sought to limit the diplomatic damage, but also showed the growing impatience with the Iran-backed militia and political heavyweight Hezbollah.

War in Yemen divides

"Nasrallah's comments do neither represent the Lebanese government nor the majority of Lebanese," Mikati said. He added that "while we call for Hezbollah to be part of Lebanon's diverse affiliation, its leadership is in opposition to this trend with positions that first harm the Lebanese and secondly Lebanon's relations with its brother. For God's sake, have mercy on Lebanon and the Lebanese, and stop the hateful sectarian and political rhetoric." Mikati is not the only one who has started to increase pressure on the powerful Shiite Hezbollah. Also, President Michel Aoun has become more open in his discomfort. Last week, he criticized Hezbollah for harming relations with Gulf countries by "interfering in matters that do not concern us," referring to Saudi and Hezbollah being on opposite sides in the war in Yemen — a constant bone of contention between the two sides. Aoun's warning is all the more significant as his Maronite Christian Party, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), is part of the "March 8 Alliance" with Hezbollah. Furthermore, the Lebanese are increasingly worried about Hezbollah's rhetoric regarding the Gulf states.

By NAJIA HOUSSARI -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: General Labor Union President Bechara Al-Asmar has warned against “a certain catastrophe, since hospitalization is now accessible to the wealthy only.” At a press conference on Friday, he commented on the multitude of crises facing the Lebanese, including “the ongoing madness in the dollar exchange rate, insane increases in fuel prices, electricity bill, the removal of medicine subsidies and the loss of the depositors’ savings as a result of bank circulations — viewed as organized robbery.” He warned that “the draft budget included a provision for raising the customs dollar, which would raise the prices of goods by 30 percent, and raise all taxes and duties.” He added: “This is unacceptable because it entails the removal of subsidies on everything in exchange for nothing, which is surrendering to the IMF conditions without any supervision.”

The fresh warning came as the ruling elite attempted to resolve its many conflicts that are blocking political and administrative progress. President Michel Aoun has signed a decree calling on parliament to hold an extraordinary session starting from Monday and ending on March 21. This will restore the parliamentary immunity of the ministers charged for the crime of the Beirut port blast, including current MPs, one of whom had an arrest warrant issued for him in absentia and that has not yet been executed. The parliamentary session sets the stage for the transfer of power from a judicial investigator to a parliamentary body for the prosecution of ministers and deputies allegedly to blame for the explosion. Lawyer and activist Hassan Bazzi said that “the key parties to the settlements are Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun.” This follows the intense political discord between Aoun and Berri that reached its peak last week.