Parliament Continues Debating State Budget for 2017

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The Parliament convened for second day in a row to debate the country's first budget in 12 years with an earlier session on Tuesday that saw lawmakers tackle political issues instead of the country's budget.

Change and Reform bloc MP Naamatallah Abi Nasr spoke first, he said: “I urge the government to adopt the position of President Michel Aoun in line with the ministerial statement as for the displaced file.”

“The safe return of displaced Syrians is the logical solution,” he remarked.

“The Lebanese people have lost confidence in their parliament and government,” said MP Ziad Aswad, and asked “who gave us the right to take away people's dignity and raise new taxes?”

Development and Liberation bloc MP Anwar al-Khalil said that the newly approved budget “brought no or little reforms,” but has somehow “slightly controlled chaotic spending.”

Lashing out at two new ministries created in the government he asked: “Why have we appointed an anti-corruption minister. What kind of corruption has he succeeded at stopping? We also heard about the Minister of Planning, what has he planned, how and why? Nobody knows.”

Change and Reform bloc MP Simon Abi Ramia shed the light on the level of unemployment in the country. He said a study has shown the role of the parliament in finding a solution for what he described as an “aggravating crisis.”

“35% of the Lebanese youth are unemployed, while 30% of them are working outside their competence,” said Abi Ramia, as he called for a “declaration of a state of emergency as for the subject of youth's unemployment to secure jobs for young people and a decent life for citizens.”

Opposition MP Sami Gemayel of the Kataeb Party said criticizing the purpose of the Parliament's meeting and said: “We are discussing the state budget for the year 2017 that will be ending in two months while we are supposed to discuss that of 2018.”

“We are violating the Constitution by failing to finalize the balance records of the previous years. Violating the Constitution has become a norm. What is happening today reflects the bad political performance that has been adopted over the past period,” he added.

MP Alain Aoun of the Change and Reform bloc defended the new presidential tenure and the new government, wondering if it is wrong to “promote diplomats to become ambassadors, carry out a reshuffle of judges, prevent term extensions in the army, approve a new electoral law, pass a new wage scale and approve a state budget in a short period of time.”

He also urged an end to public corruption accusations.

“If inspection institutions are not working, let us form parliamentary panels of inquiry to unveil the truth,” Aoun added.

MP Butros Harb meanwhile underscored that “reform starts by reforming oneself before reforming others.”

“Reform begins with working on re-building a state of law and institutions, not with hegemony over the state and citizens and massing fortunes at the expense of the people,” Harb underlined.

“If you don't want to achieve reform, we only have one demand: leave, so that Lebanon does not collapse and get bankrupted at your hands,” the MP urged.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil meanwhile admitted that failing to submit yearly final accounts for the past 12 years is a “constitutional flaw,” while noting that “the bigger flaw is not to pass a state budget.”

The parliament later approved a bill allowing it to pass the state budget without the submission of so-called final accounts for the past 12 years amid the objection of the MPs of the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces and MP Butros Harb. MP Ibrahim Kanaan of the Change and Reform bloc abstained from voting.

SourceNaharnet