Prime Minister Najib Mikati broke the political calm during a ministerial consultation session in which he discussed fundamental issues, including the file of Syrian refugees in light of developments in the Arab world and the file of the governance of the Central Bank with the approaching end of Governor Riad Salameh's term.
A large number of ministers attended the meeting, including those who boycott government sessions, such as Caretaker Minister of Justice Henry Khoury, Caretaker Minister of Displaced Issam Charaf el-Din, Caretaker Minister of Defense Maurice Slim, Caretaker Minister Youth and Sports Georges Kallas, and Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib.
Mikati discussed the current difficulties, saying, "The possibility of the presidential vacuum to last long is present and strong. In this case, the government will continue its work, and many issues require national consensus."
Mikati addressed the boycotting ministers by saying, "You have a political stance, but what you are doing is obstructing the interests of citizens, and I do not know why you are doing that. The situation requires that we all take responsibility. We cannot continue with this negativity, and I invite you to attend government sessions. I commit to not making decisions except by majority and to hold preparatory meetings to agree on the agenda."
Talks discussed the file of the Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, and the scenarios proposed in case his term ends before the election of a president. Mikati confirmed that "I will not agree to extend Salameh's term for even a minute, and I am not the one who nominates the alternative Governor, and I will not mention any names or praise any candidate. Even when the name of Kamel Abu Sleiman was mentioned, he visited me like all concerned parties, and I will wait for the names to come from the Ministry of Finance. If a name does not suit me, I will publicly reject it."
He pointed out that "the law protects the Central Bank in case the position of governor is vacant, as the deputy governor assumes the responsibility and powers directly without the need for any decision from the government, and no other employee in the Central Bank can assume this task instead of the deputy governor."
Meanwhile, some ministers from the Amal Movement and Hezbollah indicated that there is still time to reach a mechanism that ensures the appointment of a replacement for the Governor and prevents the vacancy in the position.
The ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement reiterated their leader Gebran Bassil's position, which rejects the appointment of a replacement for Salameh before the President's election.
Caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar stated, "This is unconstitutional, especially since the Governor of the Central Bank takes the oath before the President of the Republic. The remaining powers of the President of the Republic cannot be surpassed under any circumstances."
Likewise, there was an interference made by Deputy Prime Minister Shami, in which he called on the ministers to seriously consider the matter and keep it away from politics, "especially since the Governor of the Central Bank is responsible for the monetary and financial policy of the state, and the position should not be left vacant after the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, announced that he would advise Mansouri to resign."
The ministers also discussed the budget issue. Each affirmed that their ministry is preparing its budget to be sent to the Ministry of Finance, emphasizing the need to complete it on time.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil explained the obstacles that hinder its completion in light of the strike by employees in official departments and the ministry, promising to complete it on time.
Refugees and coordination with Syria
Then, the discussion moved to the issue of Syrian refugees, and opinions were raised on how to deal with the crisis.
Caretaker Minister of Displaced, Issam Charaf el-Din (who attended a meeting in the Grand Serail for the first time after a long dispute with the Prime Minister), spoke about the file and communication with the Syrian government.
Ministers Mostapha Bayram, Mohammed Samir Mortada, and Abbas Hajj Hassan emphasized the importance of taking quick action by directly communicating with the Syrian state and the need to form a ministerial committee for this purpose.
Mikati welcomed the matter, especially in light of the ongoing developments in the Arab world. He said, "I am ready to go to Syria if necessary." And he addressed Bayram by saying, "Let the Syrian government send me an official invitation to visit it, and I will respond positively."
Prime Minister Mikati proposed holding a government session before the Arab Summit in Riyadh, with the sole item on the agenda being the issue of refugees.
The ministers responded that they would consult with their political references to ensure the success of this step, especially since "it is essential to go to the summit with a unified Lebanese stance issued by 24 ministers on this issue."
Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib also pointed out that Lebanon's attendance in the Arab ministerial committee responsible for following up on the Syrian file would help raise the issue with Damascus.
He said he had contacted his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, and invited him to a meeting. Still, the latter asked to wait "for fear that the meeting would be used negatively by groups that would accuse Syria of interfering in the Lebanese presidential file."
The discussion also addressed the role of donor agencies, the pressure they exert, and the role played by international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
Caretaker Minister of Labor called for adopting a "policy of direct confrontation with these agencies that conspire against Lebanon and refugees," demanding a distinction between the position regarding "Syrian labor that is always present in Lebanon and has its legal framework, and what others are doing regarding refugees in general."
Mikati announced that communication with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regarding the provision of data on registered refugees had yielded results.
The agency's officials promised to deliver the data to the Acting Director-General of the General Security, Brigadier General Elias al-Baysari, in the coming days after the Lebanese state threatened to completely sever its ties with the commission if it refused to implement the decisions of the ministerial committee on this issue.
Some ministers believed that the previous refusal to provide the data was due to the random registration of refugee names and the UNHCR's failure to verify the situation of those registered and whether they actually qualify as refugees.
Caretaker Defense Minister revealed a message from Amnesty International requesting answers regarding the army's actions with regard to the transfer of wanted, detained, or convicted individuals to the Syrian government or impeding the sailing of boats carrying Syrian migrants and delivering them to Syria.
Slim described the message as "impudent," and ministers supported the need to respond appropriately.