The Strong Lebanon Bloc and the Free Patriotic Movement have decided to participate in today's legislative session, with the agenda limited to the public sector salaries only, without adding any other items outside the agenda.
In a statement, the Bloc and the Movement said, "This position aligns with the principle they have adopted, which limits their participation to legislating necessary matters related to the supreme interest of the state or to compelling force, without expanding the interpretation. Until now, only two laws have been enacted during the current presidential vacancy period, compared to dozens of laws that were passed during the previous presidential vacancy period (2014-2016). It is emphasized that there will be no participation in any future legislation that does not meet the criteria of urgency and necessity, and for which no solution can be found other than through legislation by the Parliament, as was the case with municipalities, mayors, and the public procurement law."
The Bloc and the Movement affirmed that they fully understand the position of the parliamentary blocs calling for boycotting the session, and they share many of its reasons and approaches. However, they urge them to adopt a similar stance to what is happening in the government. If these blocs want us to have a unified practical position regarding the illegitimacy of continuing parliamentary legislation and government work in the absence of a president, which prolongs the vacancy and solidifies the equation set by those who seek to impose a president on the basis of either acceptance or ruling the country unilaterally, far from the constitution.
They declared the "necessity of harmony and consistency in the position towards the government and the parliament, based on the fact that the parliament is legitimate, while the government is a caretaker government and lacks the parliamentary and popular legitimacy," as described by the boycotting blocs.
So how can one remain silent about issuing over 600 exceptional, ordinary, unconstitutional, and illegitimate decisions and decrees within eight months, which goes beyond the logic of caretaker duties? It is not the Parliament that has only approved two necessary laws to date."
They called on "their fellow MPs to reconsider their position and expose the unconstitutional, illegitimate, government actions, while we find them primarily focused on prioritizing the election of a president for the republic. There are no reasons that justify the Parliament's failure to fulfill this constitutional duty."