Aoun Slams Parliament Decision on EDL Contract Workers as 'Disrespectful, Arbitrary'

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday slammed parliament’s approval of EDL contract workers’ full-employment as “disrespectful to parliamentary conduct,” describing the decision as an “arbitrary plan.”

“Until now, we don't understand the reason behind the crisis of EDL contract workers,” said Aoun after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Rabiyeh.

“We won't accept that wrong decisions be imposed on us,” he stressed.

Aoun noted that the approved law is invalid because “it was not put to a vote” in parliament.

“How can we accept a law that we did not vote on? The relation with others is governed by certain rules, especially in state institutes,” the FPM leader added.

He called for abiding by “a certain ceiling concerning full-time employment,” urging everyone to shoulder their responsibilities.”

“Every state has specific structures which we cannot surpass,” Aoun warned.

“We're not attacking anyone and we're being very tolerant and our tolerance is increasing their greed,” Aoun said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Speaker Nabih Berri suspended the parliamentary session for lack of quorum after Christian blocs boycotted it over the approval of EDL contract workers’ full-employment.

“The boycott is based on political reasons and not sectarian,” Berri said.

Change and Reform bloc, Phalange party and Lebanese Forces lawmakers took the decision to boycott the morning session to protest the draft law.

LBC TV reported that Ashrafiyeh bloc MPs also decided to boycott the session.

Earlier, a meeting between the Speaker, Prime Minister Najib Miqati and al-Mustaqbal bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora was held at the parliament.

According to the National News Agency, only 47 MPs were present at the parliament.

Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel told LBC that “all the main Christian blocs opposed the decision and demanded the introduction of some amendments to the draft law… Is it normal to ignore their point of view?”

“The Christians are capable of uniting their stances when the issue is linked to their dignity,” he stated.

However, EDL Contract workers continued their strike on Tuesday in protest against the company’s failure to pay them their salaries, vowing in a statement that the strike will go on.

They vowed not to halt their strike until the parliamentary decision is published in the official gazette.

According to As Safir the Christian MPs are demanding the parliament to rectify “the mistake” made on Monday.

“It's the least we can do,” Change and Reform source told the daily.

The parliament approved, during the first of a two-day legislative session that kicked off on Monday, the full-time employment of EDL contract workers, who will have to sit for a closed exam, which will be held by the Civil Service Board.

The lawmakers introduced several amendments to the draft-law.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil called on Monday on Christian Ministers and MPs to assume their responsibilities as the approval of EDL workers’ full-time employment would destabilize the sectarian balance in the company.

Bassil noted that around 80 percent of the contract workers belong to non-Christian sects and most of them support Berri, who is a Shiite.

The boycott is “imperative,” Phalange party sources told al-Akhbar newspaper, calling on the parliament to vote again on the issue.