Consultation Committee Throws Mayors Ball Into Interior Ministry Court
The justice ministry”s legislation and consultation committee said that the interior ministry should decide whether it is necessary for a mayor to travel abroad to carry out his tasks.
After receiving several complaints, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud asked the committee last month to assess the legality of mayors performing their duties outside their geographical areas for election purposes.
The committee, however, told Baroud on Monday that his ministry should decide whether there is a necessity for a mayor to travel to perform his task, which should be set by the ministry.
Minority officials, who met last week under Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun, raised a list of complaints about the conduct of the ruling March 14 coalition before Baroud.
One of the complaints was the travel abroad of mayors with the purpose of taking the fingerprints of Lebanese expatriates who support March 14 forces.