Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday at the Grand Serail. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — Responding to local media reports Monday that a deal had been made under which the Constitutional Council would accept the Free Patriotic Movement’s appeal to invalidate the amendments to the electoral law in exchange for the removal of Judge Tarek Bitar as head of the port blast probe, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his cabinet “is not concerned” by such bargaining.
However, the premier did not deny the deal’s existence, which would aim to put an end to the deep political crisis that has paralyzed his cabinet for more than two months due to divisions among its members over the investigation into the Aug. 4, 2020 tragedy. Mikati has repeatedly expressed that he will not convene a cabinet meeting “without agreement” among its members to avoid the possibility of some of his ministers resigning.
Cabinet’s last session was adjourned when ministers affiliated with the Shiite parties Amal and Hezbollah threatened to walk out. These parties accuse Bitar of “politicizing” the blast investigation.
For several weeks now, press reports have been circulating about a compromise being worked out behind the scenes to revitalize the government.
The deal in question would be based on the Constitutional Council accepting the appeal for the invalidation of the recent amendments to the electoral law, presented by Gebran Bassil’s FPM. This would allow the Lebanese abroad to vote for six deputies who would form a constituency dedicated to the diaspora, as Bassil wishes, instead of participating in the election of the 128 deputies in Parliament. In return, the presidential camp, which had previously opposed any attack on Bitar, would finally accept that the judge be sidelined. In turn, the cabinet would meet and appoint a new chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, the highest judicial body in the country — a decision that could pave the way for Bitar’s dismissal. However, sources cited by the local channel MTV as being close to President Michel Aoun said he would not be willing to agree to any package deal at the expense of Bitar — a position the president has long expressed, emphasizing respect for the principle of separation of powers provided in the preamble of the Constitution.
According to our political columnist, Mounir Rabih, the package-deal would provide for changes in the judiciary, including the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, as well as the appointment of a successor to the financial prosecutor Ali Ibrahim who is close to the Parliament speaker.
It would also stipulate the appointment of a new public prosecutor for Mount Lebanon to replace Judge Ghada Aoun, who is considered close to President Michel Aoun and the FPM.
In Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's camp, sources confided that they are “not aware” of a possible appointment of a new financial prosecutor; however, there are reports of a “positive start” to a series of contacts in search of a way out of the crisis.
A source close to Hezbollah, which is mediating between its allies Amal and the FPM, said that contacts will be conducted in all directions Monday night in order to reach an agreement that would end the ministerial paralysis. "The contacts [underway] are serious. But there is nothing concrete yet," this source said.
'We do not interfere in the work of the judiciary'
On leaving a meeting Monday afternoon with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain al-Tineh, Mikati told reporters who questioned him that his government “is not concerned with this deal.”
Later Monday, rumors circulated about an imminent resignation of the Mikati government, but these reports were denied.
In a statement issued by his office later in the day, Mikati said that he will continue his efforts to resolve the “government suspension dilemma,” adding that “any decision I will take will be derived from my personal national values and my judgement of things.”
According to our correspondent Hoda Chedid, the meeting with Mikati was not on Berri's agenda for Monday, but was scheduled in the wake of press reports of a deal being worked out behind the scenes. “I don’t know if Mikati got what he wanted or not,” a source close to the speaker told L’Orient Today.
In a discussion with journalists at the Grand Serail, the prime minister appeared earlier in the day to express favor for the Supreme Council playing a part in investigating sitting MPs in the port probe.
“The government's position is clear. We do not interfere in the [work of the] judiciary, but it must respect the constitutional frameworks,” he said. “Just as a soldier must be tried before the Military Court, a minister must be tried before a special court,” he said.
In this context, Mikati also stressed that he “prefers waiting to confrontation.” According to him, “convening a meeting of the Council of Ministers without agreement between the ministers is not desirable (...) I will not go to a scenario that will face resignations from the government.”
Last week Aoun called for the cabinet to convene even if it were to be boycotted by those ministers connected to Amal and Hezbollah.
The Constitutional Council is due to issue its decision on the electoral law amendment appeal on Tuesday.
The text in question had been challenged by Aoun, and by the party he founded, the FPM, which initiated the appeal. If the appeal to invalidate the amendments is upheld, not only will it affect how expatriate voters vote, it will also mean that elections will not go ahead on March 27 as has been approved by Parliament.
The Council met on Monday, but was unable to complete its examination of the appeal in question.
According to an informed source quoted by Rabih, Mikati was trying to pressure his team to meet during the visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is in Lebanon until Wednesday, as a means of giving the international community a sign of his cabinet’s determination to meet its demands, especially in terms of reforms.