Head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, delivered a speech marking the October 13 commemoration, saying: “Today, we stand at the heart of the equation that protects Lebanon.
Bassil commented on the government file and the French initiative, noting that “he who wants to head a government of specialists must be a specialist himself, or simply step down to another specialist.”
He pointed out that “the struggle for power and the fear of the other are so immense that the two camps seem ready to trample any opportunity to save the country in exchange for gain. As for us, we see an opportunity today not only to rescue the country through the French initiative, but also through a constitutional amendment that prevents void in the executive authority.”
Bassil explained that “the constitutional amendment we are proposing, and which will be submitted by the Strong Lebanon bloc is based on two ideas: The first is to grant the President a maximum period of one month to set a date for parliamentary consultations, provided, of course, that its outcomes are binding to him, but do not restrict the deputies’ choices. The second is to allow the designated PM a maximum period of one month to form the government and obtain the approval and signature of the President of the Republic on the formation decree, otherwise he will automatically be considered resigned and the month deadline will be given back to the President for another round of consultations.”
“Of course, the House of Representatives must give confidence or withhold it, one month after the deadline for the formation of the government and the issuance of its decree. The time limit shall be shortened to two weeks in case of repetition,” he went on to say.
On the financial front, Bassil underlined “the necessity of changing the policy existing since the 1990s and applying a reverse policy by reducing interest, securing loans, and restructuring the banking sector to be an engine for the economy and not an obstructive agent.”
Source: Al-Manar English Website
