ALBAWABA - The Lebanese parliament held its first session, Tuesday, without a sign of the formation of a new government under the current acting Prime Minister Najeeb Mikati.
The parliament has a heavy schedule in front of it. It is to vote on 40 draft laws, including a reformed bank secrecy law and a wheat loan from the World Bank, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea who attended the session according to Annahar.
The Lebanese parliament will be debating in a plenary session the law lifting banking secrecy. The law proposal is silent about retroactivity thus making the use of it retroactively too convoluted. Any non-retroactivity of this law is voiding it from its meaning. pic.twitter.com/3Q3vUVNbtc
— Henri J. Chaoul ???? (@henrichaoul) July 26, 2022
Parliament's approval of a reformed bank secrecy law is required by the International Monetary Fund to financially support Lebanon. The aim is to fight corruption and detect and investigate financial crimes, the Lebanese daily added.
@JadeDimien #lebaneseparliament#مجلس_النواب pic.twitter.com/WWKGzG1kct
— almassiramagazine (@LfMassira) July 25, 2022
There is still no sign of a government formation despite the fact that Mikati is going "back-and-forth" to the presidential palace with proposed formation list of government minister.
Mikati says 'things positive' regarding government formation https://t.co/Sex3hJFcVB #Naharnet #Lebanon
— EyeonLebanon (@EyeonLebanon) July 4, 2022
Parliament will discuss the heated maritime border demarcation demarcation between Lebanon and Israel and will vote on two laws to protect the Beirut port silos against demolition.
Meanwhile, activists and "Change" MPs protested in front of the Parliament to urge Parliament to approve the laws that would protect the silos as a memorial for the tragic incident. They also argue that the silos may contain evidence useful for a judicial probe.
Earlier this year, the Lebanese government had moved to demolish the silos, but was forced to suspend the decision following protests from families of the blast's victims and survivors, who have yet to see justice served.
