Parliament session opens with key MPs' remarks on government performance: Major statements

LBCI

15-07-2025

Lebanon's Parliament held a session Tuesday to question the government over its policy choices.
Lawmakers pressed for clarity on major national issues and assessed the government's handling of urgent political, economic, and security challenges.
Lebanese MP Elias Bou Saab said that Tuesday's parliamentary session marks the first time such a wide-ranging policy discussion is being held, warning that it will likely feature political grandstanding, opposing rhetoric, and calls for disarmament and reconstruction.
'We must also start by holding ourselves accountable as MPs,' he added.
Bou Saab questioned the government's commitment to the Lebanese National Pact and asked what steps it has taken to liberate Lebanese territories still under Israeli occupation.
MP Georges Adwan, in turn, reminded the government that during the confidence vote session, he warned that if the first cabinet meeting failed to set a timeline to impose state authority and collect weapons, efforts to discuss reform and international relations would be futile.
'Months have passed, and nothing has changed,' he said.
He criticized the government for delaying the submission of the financial balance plan, saying that without it, reforms cannot proceed, depositors' funds cannot be recovered, and appointments remain informal as they are made outside the government framework.
'Time is running out. We now demand that your government, in its first session, set a clear timeline to restore state control,' Adwan said.
Other MPs also voiced criticism. MP Salim Aoun questioned the absence of a clear government plan five months after it took office.
'What is the government's plan? The signs so far are negative, and it's clear there's no intention to produce one,' he said.
He challenged the government's seriousness, accusing it of deliberately avoiding defining the financial gap and refusing to find a solution for depositors' trapped funds.
He reminded lawmakers that the government had promised in its ministerial statement to prioritize depositors' rights. 'But how can we talk about protecting their rights when the funds are gone, and there's no plan in place to recover them?' he added.
MP Abdul Rahman Bizri also addressed the chamber, stressing that one of the government's main responsibilities is to defend Lebanon and preserve national unity.
'Yet we are living through internal division amid an Israeli assault and occupation, under the watch of the international community,' he stated.
Meanwhile, MP Jamil Al Sayyed demanded a clear answer from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on why the appointment mechanism has not been implemented.
'The principle of political quotas is still in place, just as it was before,' he declared.
In turn, MP Farid Boustany criticized the government for reaching its 150th day in office without presenting a clear economic plan, calling it 'a misstep' from an administration that came to power on promises of reform, recovery, and the rejection of short-term fixes.
'As we head toward the 2026 budget, what is the government waiting for to unify the exchange rate?' Boustany asked, pressing for urgent fiscal action.
He emphasized that security and economic efforts must move forward in parallel, warning against treating them as separate tracks.
Boustany also called for prioritizing the return of stolen funds to Lebanese expatriates before addressing their representation through a new electoral law.
Speaking during the session, MP Bilal Abdallah said sovereignty should not be defined solely by defense and borders but by the dignity and wellbeing of citizens.
'For me, sovereignty means ensuring people's health and educational security, not just from a military standpoint,' he expressed.
Abdallah urged the government to take bolder action to safeguard the population, warning that some patients in Lebanon are dying at home due to the lack of medication, while others can no longer afford treatment.
MP Michel Moawad said Tuesday that the current government stands in sharp contrast to previous cabinets in terms of its composition, policy statement, and actions.
'At the very least, we see a government that seeks to defend the state project—not conspire against it or dominate it,' he said. 'It does not protect the weapons system, nor is it part of the corruption network.'
Moawad warned that Lebanon is at a crossroads, facing a 'historic opportunity' to rebuild the nation. Failure to act, he said, could turn the country into the 'Cuba of the East.'
He outlined four key pillars for recovery: addressing the issue of arms and military groups operating outside state authority through a clear and practical plan, restructuring the banking sector, reforming the public sector, and integrating the Lebanese diaspora into the country's economic revival.
MP Fouad Makhzoumi called on the government to bring negotiations with the United States to the Cabinet table and to present the file to Parliament for oversight.
He urged the government to turn its ministerial statement and the president's inaugural address into real action, stressing the need to dismantle all illegal security and military structures and end the chaos of uncontrolled weapons.
'Security must be imposed with an iron fist,' he said.
Meanwhile, MP Gebran Bassil criticized the government's lack of transparency, revealing that since March, lawmakers had submitted 10 questions to the Cabinet—only one of which received a response. 'And frankly, we wish they hadn't even answered that one."
He added that his bloc supports dialogue over the issue of weapons outside state control, but stressed the need for a serious and structured process.
'We are in favor of handing over weapons—not forcibly seizing them,' he said during the parliamentary session.
Bassil added that his bloc would remain a 'constructive opposition,' but warned they will raise their voices more forcefully.
MP Cesar Abi Khalil criticized the government for adopting a budget prepared by the previous cabinet, saying it contradicts its reform promises.
'From day one, this government chose to carry forward a budget it did not draft—despite claiming it came to fix what came before,' he said. 'The budget is the first tool of public service, and recycling the same one undermines any claim of reform.'
MP Ziad Hawat said the state's revival is the key to solving Lebanon's crises. 'Today is a decisive moment, but some still deny reality,' he expressed. 'To confront the dangers Lebanon is facing, we need the state to function and make a bold national decision.'
Meanwhile, MP Kassem Hachem voiced frustration that the session did not begin with a condemnation of the ongoing Israeli aggression. 'We had hoped today's session would open with a firm stance against the repeated attacks Lebanon continues to face from the enemy."
On another note, MP Ibrahim Moussawi said there is no political will to support the Lebanese Army, blaming a foreign veto for preventing its armament.
'Those who call themselves friends of Lebanon should provide the army with defensive weapons to protect the country,' he added.
MP Ibrahim Kanaan questioned the government's handling of key diplomatic files, asking, 'Where do we stand in negotiations with the Syrian government and the international community?'
Speaking during the parliamentary session, Kanaan said Lebanon is in a critical moment and must be fully informed. 'We need to know the details of the U.S. proposal, Lebanon's response, and the reaction to it. This isn't just a matter for the government—it concerns the Parliament and the entire country.'
MP Adib Abdel Massih described the country's social situation as "deteriorating and dire," stressing the urgent need for an emergency plan. "This government is not doing its job," he said in a statement on Monday, criticizing its inaction amid growing instability.
Abdel Massih also raised concerns about threats he received after calling for the exclusive control of weapons by the state.
"I ask the Ministries of Interior and Justice: someone publicly threatened our lives just because we demanded that arms be restricted to state control," he said. He added that disarmament should not be limited to the south but should be enforced equally across all Lebanese regions.
For his part, MP Yassine Yassine echoed the concerns, highlighting dangerous irregularities in a recent report by the Court of Audit. He called for a "serious and transparent investigation."
Yassine emphasized that the principle of exclusive state control over weapons is not merely a political slogan but a constitutional requirement. "There can be no functioning state without it," he said, adding that the presidency and the ministerial statement both committed to it.
He concluded by pressing the government for clarity: "What is the actual plan to ensure the monopoly of arms by the state? Is there a timeline? Are any concrete steps being taken?"
MP Ibrahim Mneimneh said the performance of individual ministers has been generally good but criticized the government as a whole for failing to assert itself as the country's decision-making center. "We haven't seen a strong cabinet capable of leading," he said.
Mneimneh pointed to a persistent gap between promises and execution. "We're witnessing stagnation, likely due to the return of old political practices and the absence of functional institutions," he warned, adding that responsibility lies not only with the government but also with actors outside it.
He reiterated the call for a clear, time-bound plan to place all weapons under state control. "We want quick results, but so far, we've seen incomplete steps—starting with appointments and extending to issues like salaries," he said.
On the sensitive matter of Lebanon's gold reserves, Mneimneh emphasized that they should remain untouched. "There must be accountability first for those who caused the financial crisis," he said.