Beirut's Justice Palace. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — A group of Lebanese judges Saturday said they would end, for a specified time period, their now two-month-long strike if their salaries are temporarily paid at Banque Du Liban's Sayrafa platform exchange rate.
In a statement signed by "the Judges of Lebanon," the magistrates voiced their dissatisfaction that the salaries they received for the month of August only "ranged between $95 and $235 according to today's exchange rate."
Lebanon's judges benefitted from a slight increase in salaries in June, when a mysteriously reached decision from the central bank permitted them to withdraw their salaries at the LL8,000 rate to the US dollar rather than the official exchange rate of LL1,507.5. However, their incomes returned to normal in July and August after the central bank's apparently unilateral decision stirred controversy, as other public servants also requested to be paid according to the same mechanism and some described the decision as "bribery."
The judges also said in their statement they didn't decide to stop working until after three years of "consistent negligence from the other two authorities [the executive and legislative branches of Lebanon's government]." They accused political officials of "wrongly describing" the current situation as a "crisis," when it is in fact "nothing but failure."
The judges asserted they will not retreat from their demands, their right to a guaranteed salary linked to the "real exchange rate," with compensation for the last three years that can, according to them, "be easily determined." They say that they are ready to suspend their strike for two months if their salary is paid temporarily at BDL's platform exchange rate.
BDL issues almost daily its own exchange rate, which is usually slightly lower than the market rate. On Saturday, the central bank's platform rate was LL27,600 to the dollar, while the parallel market was around LL34,200. The official rate, at which public servants are paid, remains LL1.507,5 to the greenback.
The judges furthermore "insisted" on an independent judiciary law and said that the current capital control draft law "will destroy what is left of people's deposits." On Tuesday, Parliament Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who was assigned to manage the approval of a capital control law, said that discussions around the text have been suspended until the cabinet settles on a full-fledged reform plan following criticisms and protests against the latest version of the law.
The judges concluded their statement, expressing gratitude for the efforts of everyone who contributes to finding solutions, but "asked them not to waste their time with less than what is required above because it will not work.”