Cabinet session comes to end, provision of telecom data approved

   
Cabinet held a session on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace under the Chairmanship of President Michel Sleiman and in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Mikati and various ministers to discuss several issues facing the country.             

In this context, cabinet granted permission to Prime Minister Najib Mikati to hand over all telecom data to security agencies dating from January 15 to May 15.
                           
In reaction, Ministers Salim Karam, Salim Jreissati and Gebran Bassil voiced their objection to the decision while Ministers Wael Abu Faour and Alaa Eddine Terro objected the fact that the data that will be delivered may be "incomplete."                      

For his part, PM Najib Mikati said that the decision to hand over the data without its full content is based on his request (as per the law).                

Minister Walid Daouk said that the Cabinet approved the provision of the telecom data at the written request of the minister of Defense or Interior.                  

As for the posters of the Saudi King, Minister Daouk quoted President Michel Sleiman as saying that he refuses that the Saudi King be mocked, adding that procedures will be followed to find those responsible.                  

“President Sleiman commissioned Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to follow up on the measures initiated by the General Prosecutor in terms of posters mocking the Saudi King,” Minister Daouk said.    

Regarding the UCC general strike, Minister Daouk quoted the president as saying that demonstrations do not help the government in its quest to find funding sources for pay scale adding that the series of ranks and salaries had been approved, but its funding sources were not discussed.                    

President Sleiman’s speech at the beginning of the session                                   

At the beginning of the session, President Michel Sleiman stressed his approval of the ranks and salaries scale, pointing out that Prime Minister Najib Mikati will refer it to Parliament as soon as possible.                                     

He explained that the scale is being studied in order to guarantee that it serves the country’s interest, adding that the strike will not aid in finding revenues to fund the scale.                                          

On another note, he called on all parties to commit to the Baabda Declaration which stresses the government’s impartiality and non-interference in other countries’ affairs, mainly Arab countries.                                             

“The government is not bound by the opinion of the different political parties and these opinions do not change the principles upon which the Baabda Declaration was based,” he said.                             

Prior to the session, President Michel Sleiman and PM Najib Mikat held a closed session.