The Lebanese parliament postponed yesterday to an unspecified date for a legislative session that had controversial bills due to lack of quorum, with thousands of Lebanese blocking roads leading to the parliament in a development celebrated by protesters as a "new achievement" for their month-long movement. The Lebanese President, Michel Aoun, expressed his readiness to form a government that includes representatives of the popular movement.
Protesters gathered in downtown Beirut to confront a large number of security forces, which closed all entrances leading to Nijmeh Square, where the parliament is located, and riot units and army elements carried out an unprecedented deployment, the day after the demonstrators called to block roads to prevent deputies from reaching the session There were some clashes between security forces and demonstrators.
A large number of deputies were unable to reach, and two of them attended on motorcycles, and after it became clear the demonstrators determination to disrupt the session, announced the blocks of the President of the province, most notably the Future bloc led by Saad Hariri, and the Progressive Socialist Party headed by former MP Walid Jumblatt, and the Lebanese Forces headed by Samir Geagea.
The quorum required for the session, which was supposed to begin with the election of members of the House of Representatives and Parliamentary Committees before it became legislative, was not complete, and the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, Adnan Daher, announced the postponement of the meeting to a date to be determined.
Dahir said in a statement that «exceptional circumstances present, especially security, prevented the convening of the Council to complete the election of committees, and based on precedents adopted by the House of Representatives, the current parliamentary committees were considered a list of all current members».
The demonstrators in central Beirut celebrated the postponement of the meeting, considering it as a new achievement for them, and knocked on the pots and iron plates in rejoicing, echoing «revolution .. revolution».
This is the second postponement of the session in a week, under pressure from the street, which refuses to legislate, and calls for the formation of a government of specialists does not include any of the current political faces.
Lebanese media reported that a convoy of three cars fired in the air in downtown Beirut in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators, several of whom hit the car with sticks, trying to intercept it.
On the other hand, Lebanese President, Michel Aoun, yesterday, expressed his readiness to form a government that includes representatives of the popular movement for more than a month, in addition to representatives of political parties and specialists.
Aoun said yesterday, during a meeting with the UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Jan Kubic, that «the new government will be political, and includes specialists and representatives of the popular movement».
Aoun stressed that he is always ready to meet with the representatives of the Movement and to inform them of his efforts to achieve their demands.
He explained that the goal of not setting the date of parliamentary consultations, is to remove obstacles to the formation of the government, and facilitate the task of the President-designate.
He pointed out that the economic and financial conditions in the country are being monitored and are being addressed gradually.
Lebanon has been witnessing since 17 October, unprecedented demonstrations began against the backdrop of living demands, and the movement seems to cross the communities and regions, and adheres to the demand of the departure of the political class without exception, taking them on corruption, accusing them of stealing public funds, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri under the pressure of the street resigned, President Michel Aoun did not initiate parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister.