Quorum Met in Parliamentary Session... Berri Closes the Minutes and Opens the Clash

The Parliament closed the minutes of the legislative session, making the bills approved in the previous session effective, in a move that carried more than just legislative significance. The approval was not merely the completion of postponed files but came within a calculated political clash intended to confirm that the balance of power within the Parliament remains controlled and that the keys to the game have not left the hands of its Speaker, Nabih Berri.

Berri succeeded in securing the quorum by rallying the interests of opposition blocs, especially the deputies from the north who found in passing the project for the Qleiat Airport an urgent electoral need ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Here, it became clear how keeping the previous session's minutes open was used as a political pressure card to be employed at the right time. The speed with which the session was called and held reflected that the political objective was paramount, regardless of the accompanying rhetoric about the "necessity of legislation" and managing people's affairs.

Practically, the Thursday session did not produce exceptional or urgent decisions, except for the approval of the loan agreement with the World Bank worth $250 million to restore damaged infrastructure, a clause that would have passed in any ordinary legislative session given the majority approval of the blocs. However, the clearest message was implicit: Berri responded strongly to his opponents, confirming that he still holds the strings of the parliamentary game.

On the other hand, the almost complete absence of the expatriate voting file stood out, which was only raised by MP Paula Yacoubian, in a scene reflecting implicit acceptance of not opening this file despite boycotts and raised voices from the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb party, some independents, and change deputies. It was as if silence was more eloquent than objection, or that electoral calculations imposed postponing the clash to another time.

Legislatively, the Parliament approved a loan agreement with the World Bank worth $250 million to restore infrastructure in the south, and also approved the draft law included in Decree No. 9137 canceling Law No. 114/2004 related to the double taxation avoidance agreement with the Republic of Sudan. The law organizing the judicial judiciary was also approved after taking into account the President's remarks, which MP Ali Hassan Khalil confirmed received consensus within the Administration and Justice Committee. Simultaneously, the Parliament approved three bills to enhance water supplies in Beirut, implement the financial management project, and also approved an amended draft law related to funding sources for integrated solid waste management, enabling municipalities to collect and transport waste.

Inside the chamber, legislation intertwined with politics. MP Bilal Abdullah called for reconsideration of public sector employees' conditions and salaries, while MP Paula Yacoubian engaged in a sharp debate with Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil over financial accountability, considering the situation "very dangerous." Yacoubian also reminded of the expatriates' right to know the law under which they will vote.

Before approving the World Bank loan, Bassil announced his objection to the clause, considering that reconstruction requires a clear government plan. In response, Finance Minister Yassin Jaber explained that six thousand billion Lebanese pounds were transferred to the South Council and two thousand billion to the Higher Relief Council, confirming that the transfer of funds is done in a studied manner, not randomly.

In a related context, MP Hassan Fadlallah pointed out that the session was held amid ongoing Israeli attacks, considering that participation came from a position of responsibility towards the proposed bills.

For his part, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab clarified that the laws approved became effective after closing the minutes, noting that any step to reopen the registration of expatriates to vote based on 128 deputies would require a technical extension of Parliament. He confirmed that the President is keen not to disrupt constitutional institutions, considering the absence of a bloc the size of the "Strong Republic" as "a sign of deficiency."

Conversely, MP George Adwan confirmed that the Lebanese Forces do not boycott legislation or Parliament but object to the wrong practices within it, emphasizing that the country has entered a new phase requiring correcting a thirty-year-old course, with the goal of not disrupting government work and safeguarding the current term. Meanwhile, Ali Hassan Khalil viewed after the session that what happened was not a challenge to anyone but a natural practice of legislative order, considering that the boycott by some blocs was unjustified and affirming that electoral issues should be addressed properly without creating excuses for postponement or cancellation.

The session ended with the minutes closed, but the debate remained open. Legislation passed smoothly in form but revealed again the depth of political division, reaffirming an old-new equation: in moments of need, politics takes precedence over the text, and messages precede laws.