Amid Hamadeh-Fadlallah Clash, Berri Defers Legislative Session to Mar. 21
Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned a legislative parliamentary session held on Thursday to March 21 after quorum was lost.
The loss of quorum prevented a vote on a draft law on reducing the prison year to nine months. The legal quorum requires the presence of at least 65 MPs, while only 64 lawmakers were present out of the 128 members of parliament.
Ahead of its suspension the session witnessed a verbal clash between March 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh and Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah.
Hamadeh asked parliament to observe a minute of silence “on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Syrian revolution,” drawing objections from the rival March 8 camp lawmakers.
The clash erupted when Fadlallah said “let him stand on one foot.”
Speaker Berri also rejected Hamadeh’s statement, saying it strayed off the session’s topic.
The parliament also failed to adopt two draft laws on transportation and schooling allowances – linked to a recent wage hike – after several MPs insisted they needed further discussions.
A panel was formed to look into the two draft laws, comprising Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, Labor Minister Salim Jreissati and the two MPs who submitted the draft laws, Ibrahim Kanaan and Nabil de Freij.
The parliament, however, approved several draft laws ahead of the session’s adjournment.
Among the most prominent decisions were authorizing government to borrow in foreign currency, appointing the graduates of the National Pedagogical Institute of Technical Training to posts in the Directorate General of Technical and Vocational Education, and appointing new judges and auditors to posts in the Audit Bureau.
12 years
please go and tell that to your so called foreign affairs minister :)
a minute of silence for the dead people is a gesture of compassion, or have you lost it>
12 years
Like their parliament did while we were dying? suddenly so compassionate my dear?
12 years
I dont have anyone that represent me in the current political scene so please don't label me...If it were up to me I would dispose of them all M8 and M14. Even though I support the Syrian revolution as an individual I don't think the Lebanese politicians or government should be involved in any way...Manage the Lebanese problems first...for once!
12 years
It is OK. They want to provoke another May 9 incident. These people were spared last time, claiming they were raped and all this bullshit. This time will not be lies. All the accusations will be real.
12 years
May 9 is not a day to be proud off...once we get rid of such mentality then we will start to build a real country!
12 years
Incredible circus this lebanese parliament is ...
12 years
A circus full of animals
12 years
jcamerican obviously wants Huzb Allah to take over Lebanon by force and make a real 'democracy' like in Iran and Syria...
Fadlallah learns his morals from his father, religious leader supporting suicide bombings, otherwise known as a terrorist.
12 years
My point is if that was their plan, what is the hold up? Waiting for couple more trucks. Why did they retreat from Beirut? The parliament is for the Lebanese not the Syrians. Maybe it is good to have one minute of silence, because the rest of the time is barking time.
We can barely manage our business let alone interfering with other's busines...You want to take a stance with the Syrian people go do it on your own in a peaceful demonstration and don't drag the whole government into it! When are we going to learn that if we don't want anyone to interfere in our business we should stop interfering in theirs!