House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Sept. 16, 2022 during a Parliament session. (Photo credit: Lebanese Parliament/Ali Fawaz/Lebanese Parliament)
BEIRUT — Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri suspended a second parliamentary session on Friday afternoon during a vote on the 2022 draft budget, Berri's press office reported. The session is postponed until Sept. 26.
Here's what we know:
• Berri suspended the session at 5 p.m, roughly two hours after the session began.
• Some MPs reportedly withdrew from the session while the budget vote was taking place. MP Ghassan Hasbani (Lebanese Forces/Beirut II) told Al-Jadeed he left the session because he didn’t want to be “a false witness.” He said the basis and numbers of the draft are "chaotic," and that "no budget is better than the current budget."
• Shortly before the session was suspended, Berri said there was "an attempt" to shortchange the parliamentary quorum. Berri urged MPs to approve the budget on Friday, saying he would otherwise have to suspend the session for "eight or nine days."
• On Thursday, MPs offered their criticisms of the draft budget. Discussions were scheduled to take place from Wednesday to Friday; however, Wednesday's session was canceled after the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb parties boycotted due to its overlap with the anniversary of Bachir Gemayel's assassination.
• The approval of a new budget of one of key reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund to unlock a $3 billion assistance package.