Lebanon parliament to discuss contentious issues

Lebanon’s Parliament convened Monday, kicking off a two-day legislative session to discuss 33 draft laws including two contentious bills for the 2012 state spending and the fate of contract workers at Electricite du Liban. Among the bills are two proposals allocating LL11.561 trillion ($7.67 billion) to cover public spending for 2012 and a draft proposal aimed at making contract workers at EDL full-time employees. The Cabinet overcame its spending crisis last month when ministers approved advanced payments and treasury loans to cover public administration expenses and finance projects in Tripoli and Beirut. The March 14 coalition has rejected extra-budgetary spending by Prime Minister Najib Mikati's Cabinet, arguing that overspending by previous governments should be legalized as well. As for the draft proposal aimed at making EDL contract workers full-time employees, MPs from the Change and Reform Parliamentary bloc reject the Parliament’s joint committees’ draft law approved last month allowing all EDL contract workers to take examinations that would give them the chance to become full-time employees. Energy Minister Gebran Bassil had proposed allowing 700 out of the 2,800 workers into the selection round while the rest would be employed by private sector service providers for a three-month probation period. Other proposals include a draft law authorizing the government to issue treasury bills in Lebanese pounds or in foreign currencies; a proposal to sign a loan agreement between Lebanon and the World Bank to finance the implementation of the second Educational Development project; and a draft proposal aimed at including notaries public in the civil service as well as draft laws call for settling the reconstruction of buildings devastated by the 2006 Israeli aggression on Lebanon. The lawmakers will also be discussing an urgent draft law that calls for making contract teachers full-time employees at the Education Ministry.