The election of a deputy speaker of parliament is the first test of political power
Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government concluded its term yesterday, by approving the “financial recovery” plan that had previously been rejected by the Association of Banks. It also approved raising the telecom tariff at least three times, amid the rejection of Hezbollah’s ministers, and with the end of the parliament’s mandate, and the election of a new council, the government turns to conduct business.
The government approved the plan after three years of the country’s financial crisis. The “reforms” contained in it include plans to restructure the banking sector and return some depositors’ savings in hard currency, which are among basic measures for the International Monetary Fund to release required funding, amid the rejection and objection of a number of ministers, including Hezbollah ministers.
The Association of Banks in Lebanon has previously said that it rejects the plan “because it dumps almost the entire part of the losses that resulted from the policies adopted by the state and its successive governments on the shoulders of banks and depositors.”
At this time, the political and change forces in the new parliament are undergoing the first test of their strength in the elections for the presidency, the vice president and the council office, in a session whose date has not been set yet, amid political squabbling over the position of the deputy speaker, which appears to be Representative Elias Bou Saab (from « The Free Patriotic Movement”) is the most likely to take over, in light of information that he is the preferred candidate for the outgoing Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, who is expected to be elected for a new term, given that the Shiite representation in Parliament is limited to the representatives of the “Shiite duo” (Amal and Hezbollah movement) who Their number is 27, which means that Berri has no competitor outside the duo.
It has now been decided that the “Strong Republic” bloc that represents the “Lebanese Forces” (19 deputies) will not vote for Berri.