Nabih Berri Chairs Parliamentary Bureau Meeting, Sets Thursday Agenda with 37 Items and Loans

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri chaired a meeting of the parliamentary bureau at the Second Presidency in Ayn el-Tineh. The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, secretaries MPs Hadi Abu Hassan and Alain Aoun, commissioners MPs Michel Moussa and Karim Kabbara, and acting Secretary General Mona Kamal.

After the meeting, Bou Saab spoke, noting that "the parliamentary bureau held a meeting under President Berri's chairmanship and discussed the agenda for the plenary session scheduled for this Thursday, November 12. The agenda contains approximately 37 items. Some items will be studied by committees today for approval, and we decided that if approved, they will be added to the agenda, particularly the supplementary appropriation projects for electricity and solar energy, as well as international agreements and World Bank loans that we have placed to start Thursday's session."

In response to a question about the source of funding for these appropriations, Bou Saab said: "The government has approved this matter and secured the funds; they sent a draft law from the government, so this question should be directed to the Minister of Finance."

Regarding the decision to expel Consul Ibrahim Sharara from the United States and whether this step is a message to Lebanon, Bou Saab replied: "I do not know if this is a 'venting' after the US election results or not. We do not interfere in the affairs of other countries. As for the other matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must provide the correct answer."

Concerning the call for dialogue and President Berri's position, Bou Saab stated: "We discussed this topic, and President Berri clarified his stance. It is clear that there is no consensus or interest in holding a traditional roundtable dialogue. President Berri proposes side dialogues, meaning not just between two parties but between all parties that have differences among themselves."

Bou Saab added: "President Berri emphasized that we are facing many changes resulting from the US elections, the election outcomes, and the change in the Israeli government. All these issues are new developments in the region. What we heard from him was a wish that we at least unify our efforts and positions in Lebanon despite existing differences, work for Lebanon's interest, place Lebanon's interest first, and be united in opinion."