“Lebanon Debate”
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Elias Bou Saab, confirmed that the General Assembly session scheduled for Wednesday will discuss a series of draft laws and proposals, at the forefront of which is a proposal related to official examinations and the general amnesty law, stressing that “approval of an amnesty requires broad political and national consensus,” and at the same time warning against calls to boycott the sessions of the House of Representatives.
Bou Saab’s words came after a meeting of the House of Representatives Bureau in Ain al-Tineh, where he indicated that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, will go to Doha tomorrow to offer his condolences on the death of the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
He said that during the meeting, Berri recalled the most prominent stations in the deceased’s career and his role in supporting Lebanon, pointing out that “Sheikh Hamad has a great credit for Lebanon in general, and for the House of Representatives in particular.”
He added that Berri touched on the Doha Agreement and the role that Sheikh Hamad played in its implementation with the aim of resolving the Lebanese crisis, considering that “Lebanon today is in dire need of initiatives of this kind.”
He also referred to the Father Emir’s visit to Lebanon after the 2006 war, and the contributions made by Qatar in reconstructing a number of villages, building hospitals, and supporting the Lebanese, stressing that “Qatar is still, to this day, one of the countries that constantly helps the military establishment and the Lebanese army.”
Regarding the agenda of the parliamentary session, Bou Saab explained that the previous plenary session had been postponed, and that a number of laws were later approved in parliamentary committees and joint committees, and were added to the agenda of Wednesday’s session.
He expressed his hope to “reach agreement on most of the proposed draft laws and proposals,” including a duplicate expedited law proposal related to official examinations, submitted by Representatives Hassan Murad and Paula Yacoubian.
He explained that “the existing problem of canceling official exams for some students and keeping them for others has sparked widespread disagreement,” which prompted the proposal to be included on the agenda after the approval of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Bureau, as one of the possible solutions to this crisis.
As for the general amnesty law, Bou Saab reiterated that “this law needs consensus, and if consensus is not achieved, it will face serious problems.”
He pointed out that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made a call to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, during which he stressed the need to agree on the law, calling for it to be re-studyed or considered again if it was not possible to reach an agreed-upon formula.
Bou Saab said, “The amnesty law can provide justice to a large number of detainees and prisoners who have not been sentenced,” including those who are called “Islamist detainees,” objecting to this term because of its implication of linking a specific sect to security files.
He added: “Linking a specific sect with the issue of terrorism is unacceptable,” stressing that the law is sensitive and must be carefully studied, taking into account the sacrifices of the military institution and the families of its martyrs, in addition to the rights of detainees and the oppressed in prisons.
He explained that previous discussions led to a formula that was considered largely acceptable, stressing the need not to confuse the general amnesty law with the project to abolish the death penalty demanded by the Ministry of Justice.
He said: “The law to abolish the death penalty is a different law and aims for a permanent legislative amendment, while the general amnesty law is an exceptional law,” stressing that “there is no relationship between the two files and there is no hidden element aimed at influencing the amnesty law.”
He pointed out that Justice Minister Adel Nassar confirmed that “the two projects are completely separate, and that the proposal to abolish the death penalty is not related to the general amnesty law.”
Bou Saab stressed that “the country is going through a delicate stage, and that agreement on an amnesty law is necessary,” expressing his hope for “the adoption of a just law that will release the oppressed from prisons and balance the rights of those affected and the position of the military institution.”
He added, “The House of Representatives will not pass a law that oppresses any party or targets a specific group or sect,” noting that the next few days will be used to try to bring viewpoints closer together.
He pointed out that the law is on the agenda, and “if there is consensus, it will be approved, but if the representatives see that it needs amendments or additional study, it will be returned to the relevant committees.”
Commenting on the threats to boycott the parliamentary session, Bou Saab warned of the danger of this path, considering that “using a boycott to pressure the adoption or rejection of a law opens the door to disrupting other laws that citizens need.”
He pointed out that the agenda includes laws that do justice to the army and military personnel and improve their salaries, in addition to reform laws and international agreements that the government demands to be approved, questioning the feasibility of disrupting the House of Representatives against the backdrop of disagreement over one law.
He said: “Whoever calls for a boycott must bear his national responsibility,” stressing that “all parties want a fair amnesty law, and that previous bidding caused a delay in its approval and deprived a number of prisoners of the opportunity to leave.”
He pointed out that MP Abdul Karim Kabbara raised during the office meeting the problem related to the amnesty law, requesting that the dispute be resolved or the session be postponed, but Berri stressed “being careful not to pass the law without consensus.”
Bou Saab added: “It is not permissible to call on a specific sect to boycott the session of the House of Representatives, because whoever boycotts today will return to another session, and the natural place to present objections is inside the House.”
He called on the objecting representatives to attend the session and express their observations, stressing that “the law will not pass if it does not achieve the required consensus, and that boycott is not the solution.”
He said: “No one should put himself in a difficult situation and then look for a way out of it. We are all on one team when it comes to passing a just law.”
Regarding the movements in the street, Bou Saab expressed his hope “not to resort to protests,” stressing that “the Council will be the voice of the oppressed and the families of the detainees,” but he stressed the need to reach a fair formula that also takes into account the families of the army martyrs.
He touched on the conditions of a number of prisoners who spent long years behind bars without trial, asking: “How do we do justice to someone who spent 14 years in prison, when the sentence he deserves may not exceed 5 years?”
He warned that “the auctions will lead to the complete dropping of the amnesty law,” noting that the formula submitted by the joint committees to the General Assembly was approved unanimously, and that a number of representatives who are expressing objections today had previously voted on it.
He concluded by stressing that “the general amnesty law cannot be tailored to measure each individual case, and that some special files need separate political or judicial treatment, while the primary goal remains to approve a balanced and fair general amnesty.”
