March 14 Resumes Attack on Cabinet as Berri Warns about Extension of Session
March 14 opposition MPs resumed Wednesday their attack on the government on the second day of a three-day parliamentary session, which will witness statements by 53 more lawmakers.
Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Abou Khater accused the cabinet of corruption, reiterating that it was formed through a coup against ex-Premier Saad Hariri’s former government last year.
He lamented that one team works for the state and its institutions while the other works for its own state and security and military institutions, a reference to Hizbullah.
“We thank you for your revolt as you have demonstrated that the March 8 camp can never provide a plan to build the state,” said al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Khodr Habib during the session aimed at assessing the performance of Premier Najib Miqati’s government.
He called on the cabinet to resign for “isolating” Lebanon and “becoming a partner in the suppression of freedoms” in Syria through the adoption of a policy of distancing itself from the crisis in the neighboring country.
Another al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ammar Houri slammed the cabinet over the red diesel scandal, the discovery of spoiled food throughout Lebanon and the intentional blocking of what is known as telecom data from security forces seeking to investigate assassination attempts against Lebanese officials.
Twenty MPs addressed the parliament on Tuesday at the start of the session. The legislature has rarely witnessed a request by 73 MPs to make statements, An Nahar daily said Wednesday.
Most of the opposition MPs harshly criticized the government over its policy on the Syrian crisis and its performance in economic and social affairs. They also slammed the cabinet in its slackness on security issues.
Sources told the newspaper that March 8 majority officials have issued an order to their deputies to score the largest possible number of statements which led to a counter-attack by the opposition.
This prompted Speaker Nabih Berri to ask all sides to reconsider their requests to address the assembly to guarantee its conclusion on Thursday night.
During the opening of Wednesday’s assembly, Berri warned deputies that he will have to hold another session on Saturday morning and afternoon if they refuse to withdraw the growing requests to address the legislature.
“Let no one tell me it’s a weekend,” he quipped.
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