Parliamentary Session Postponed for 5th Time
Speaker Nabih Berri postponed a parliamentary session for the fifth time for lack of quorum.
Next Tuesday”s agenda, like the previous session, included controversial items including bringing heads-of-state and ministers to trial, a draft law to grant a general amnesty for crimes committed before April 27, 2005 and eliminating taxes on gas.
Berri warned that he will not add any new draft law to the agenda and will schedule a new session every time there is no quorum.
He added that 28 articles remain to be discussed and approved.
The speaker was quoted as saying by An Nahar newspaper that State Minister Wael Abu Faour assured him that March 14 members of parliament would attend the legislative session and that quorum would not be threatened.
"Why don”t they attend the session and either vote for or against the gasoline issue?" asked Berri.
But Abou Faour said while leaving parliament building that he told Berri there should be quorum and didn”t promise him anything.