Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Wednesday chaired a cabinet session - boycotted by the Free Patriotic Movement - at the Grand Serail. The cabinet cancelled intermediate official exams (Brevet) for this year, approved the pending promotion of security and military officers, and renewed the UNIFIL's mandate for another year. The Cabinet also passed a decree that would turn civil defense volunteers into full-timers after years of service. After extending well-wishes marking the Adha holiday, Mikati addressed the cabinet with an opening speech. 'Since we called for a cabinet session, we have been hearing objections by some amateur disrupters and some statements that question the constitutionality of the session under the pretext that we are confiscating the powers of the President of the Republic,' Mikati said. 'It is strange that some parties continue to fail to carry out their duties in electing a President of the Republic, yet they are prejudiced against the government. Therefore, we call for expediting the election of a President; we are not fans of creating problems, but we are endeavoring to preserve state institutions, serve citizens, and manage urgent matters. We are against disruption and support continuous productivity,' Mikati added.
Source: National News Agency - Lebanon