Parliament Resumes State Budget Talks for 2nd Day

On Thursday, the Lebanese Parliament reconvened to continue discussions on the 2024 state budget, following a tumultuous session on Wednesday that ended in disputes and altercations.

During Wednesday’s session, Change MP Melhem Khalaf exited the meeting after a heated exchange with Speaker Nabih Berri. This incident was part of a series of confrontations, including Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil labeling the Change MPs as “Mafias.” In response, Change MP Paula Yacoubian reminded Khalil of his charges related to the 2020 Beirut port explosion. Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan criticized the government, calling it “dishonourable,” while Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan argued that state budgets are futile if control over war and peace decisions remains out of the state’s jurisdiction.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab also expressed strong criticism towards Prime Minister Najib Mikati, accusing him of exacerbating the conflict between the defense minister and the army commander.

When the session resumed later that evening, there was a notable altercation between Speaker Berri and FPM chief Jebran Bassil. Bassil criticized the caretaker government’s decision to convene and pass what he termed a “catastrophic” state budget, questioning the government’s authority to do so in the first place.