Attempts to Undermine the Cabinet’s Efforts, Best Described As “Blackmail"
Environment Minister Antoine Karam requested compensation be given not only to residents of South Lebanon, but also to residents of Zahle, the North and to journalists imprisoned in Syria.
“There is an ongoing fuss over the billions [of LL] allocated to the Council for South,” read a statement issued by the minister’s office on Monday.
“Contrary to popular belief, the cabinet did not refuse the approval of necessary funds for compensation to the families of martyrs and freed prisoners, but rather agreed to a sum of 40 billion LL [over $26 million] for the Council for South outside the national budget… in addition to 6 billion LL [$4 million] from the budget.”
Karam added he was shocked by attempts to undermine the cabinet’s efforts, which he described as “blackmail,” and called for compensation to be given to villages and towns in the Mountain, Zahle, and the North and to detained journalists in Syria.