Lebanese Ministry of Information
Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, stated following the “ministerial consultative meeting” held at the Grand Serail: “We relied on the conscience of some of the ministers who should have been present. I do not want to name them because we are all colleagues. This issue is not permissible; it is not permissible in an existential crisis of this kind for some ministers to boycott the sessions for political reasons, unfortunately.”
In response to a question about whether he meant the Free Patriotic Movement ministers, he said: “Certainly I mean the Free Patriotic Movement ministers whom I love and we are in contact with, but it is not permissible in a crisis of this kind that the cabinet not to have full quorum. The Lebanese people must know that this is an existential crisis for Lebanon. We have heard numbers. I wish all the Lebanese people could know what is happening and know the danger of the second displacement crisis that is occurring. In any case, we say that a Lebanese government delegation should go to Syria, and this issue must be decided as soon as possible. There is a Cabinet meeting this afternoon and the issue of displacement will be discussed.”
In response to a question, Makary said, “The Cabinet session designated for the issue of the displaced requires the presence of all ministers, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Defense, and Social Affairs”. He said: “I do not accuse the ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement, but I say in general that the cabinet session devoted to the displaced must be attended by 24 ministers.”
He added: “There are decisions that we will take related to the issue of displacement during the afternoon session.”
Regarding the numbers revealed by the army commander, he said: “They are very large, and I call the ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement to attend, because addressing the issue of the displaced is one of the Movement’s most prominent priorities.”
NNA
