“I am working with Finance Minister Youssef Khalil to prepare the draft budget. The text should be ready by the end of the week, so that it can be distributed to ministers,” Mikati told the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT – Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday that he had been working with the finance minister to ensure that the draft budget “is ready by the end of the week” so that the Council of Ministers can meet “early next week.”
Here’s what we know:
• “I am working with Finance Minister Youssef Khalil to prepare the draft budget. The text should be ready by the end of the week, so that it can be distributed to ministers,” Mikati told the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat.
• Mikati, whose government was prevented from meeting by the Shiite ministers due to disagreements over Judge Tarek Bitar's investigation into the Beirut port blast, promised a few weeks ago to convene the Council of Ministers as soon as the draft budget plan was completed.
• On Saturday evening, Hezbollah and the Amal Movement announced in a joint statement their decision to return to government meetings. The parties assured that their ministers will participate in government meetings devoted to the approval of the draft budget plan and discussions on the economic recovery plan, along with other social issues.
• Commenting on this turnaround, Mikati denied speculation linking the resumption of cabinet meetings to the suspension of the investigation into the Beirut port blast. “This was not mentioned in the contacts that preceded the joint statement between Amal and Hezbollah,” he said. “I am still in favor of separating powers and not intervening in the work of the judiciary.”