AMAL Calls on Finance Minister to Resign

Following a short period of appeasement, the Council for South crisis is expected to witness further escalation during the coming few days…

Indeed, the ten-day deadline proposed by the Lebanese cabinet for resolving the Council for South stalemate is over. Yet, no progress seems to have been achieved as Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's financial team is always rejecting the proposed budget for the South Council.

However, Lebanese daily An-Nahar quoted on Monday ministerial sources as saying that a possible solution was being discussed that would "put the issue within its institutional framework." The proposal, according to the sources, calls for adopting a mechanism used by the finance ministry with the various funds, councils and public institutions such as they submit their budget requests and funds needed for 2009 for approval.

A special session on state budget was postponed for 10 days when the national-unity government failed to agree over funding for Council for the South, particularly after Parliament Speaker Berri submitted a budget request of LL 150 billion ($100 million) for the Council, a demand totally rejected by Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and his financial team.

SHATAH: THIS IS A ‘GOVERNMENT OF OBSTRUCTION!’

Meanwhile, a dispute between Finance Minister Mohamad Shatah and the Amal Movement revealed that the stalemate endures.

Shatah launched on Sunday a verbal assault against the national-unity government he was part of, accusing it of hindering work rather than performing the required tasks, in reference to the budget crisis.

"This government is closer to a government that is hindering work rather than carrying out the required tasks," Shatah said in an interview with LBC television. "I wish this government was a caretaker government," Shatah said, adding that "instead, it's actually a government of obstruction."

AMAL movement swiftly hit back, calling for Shatah's resignation. "A (Cabinet) minister who describes his own government as one that hinders work should immediately resign," said a statement issued by AMAL's Society for the Protection of Political Environment.

On Monday, Shatah said he was surprised that the Amal Movement has resorted to using false accusations in order to avoid addressing controversial political, financial and economic issues. "The truth hurts to those who do not want to accept it," he said.

OPPOSITION SOURCES: SHATAH STATEMENT PART OF SANIORA SCHEME!

Meanwhile, opposition sources told Al-Manar that Shatah's statement comes in the framework of a complete scheme prepared by Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to escape from the process of adopting the general budget just as he used to do when he was the head of the unconstitutional former government.

The sources went on to say that Saniora's goal was to return to the old way of managing the country's financial issues with the launching of the month of February so that he remains the despotic one who holds control of the expenditure of the political money. They pointed to the timing of raising the issue ahead of the parliamentary elections, noting that Saniora's goal was to punish the rivals from the southerners, generously reward the Serail allies and increase the quantities of electoral money without any deterrent.

al Manar