Diman meeting: Prioritizing education, security, and economic concerns

The spotlight is on Diman next week, as the meeting between Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister and the Maronite Patriarch, along with other bishops, is set to take place on Tuesday.

Whether it is a ministerial meeting or a Cabinet session, the gathering has been controversial.

However, governmental sources reported to LBCI that the meeting will proceed as planned and falls within the context of consultations on pressing issues, as inquired by the bishops during their previous meeting with Prime Minister Mikati.

The discussions are expected to prioritize social, economic, educational, and security matters. Notably, the Education and Higher Education Minister will be present this time, indicating the significance of the education file.

Other key topics include the Syrian refugee crisis, Lebanon's stance, and the current economic and living conditions.  

Governmental sources emphasized that the session is not a formal Cabinet meeting with an agenda but rather a consultation, with ministers actively engaged in participating.

Addressing reactions to the Diman meeting, the sources dismissed the criticism as unjustified. They stated that the Prime Minister has the right to hold similar consultations in any region with different authorities, especially considering the country's current stalemate and stagnation.

The priority should be finding solutions to the challenges faced by the Lebanese, overriding any political considerations that some might use to launch campaigns against the Prime Minister.

Although Mikati invited all the ministers to the meeting, not all have confirmed their attendance.

Similar to the first meeting, some ministers, particularly those affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), have boycotted these meetings, rejecting attempts to bypass the constitution and expand the caretaker government's scope as if nothing had happened.

The final count of attending ministers for Tuesday's meeting is yet to be confirmed.