SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 29 March 2024, Friday |

Lebanon’s incomplete legislation farce

Legislation in Lebanon is similar to an art school:

“Art is for art,” as it takes place on the basis of “legislation for legislation” where the laws that are passed does not get into the implementation phase.

In the last legislative session of the House of Representatives that approved the Law on Recovering Stolen Funds, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri commented on approving the law in a mockery  manner , hinting that this law could join the 73 laws that had been previously approved but were not implemented, bearing the law of recovering the stolen money, number 74 in the list of non-implemented laws.
Why are the passed laws not implemented?

A constitutional reference says to Voice of Beirut International, that the approval of laws in Parliament is not the  “finish line”, rather it is almost the “starting line” to begin implementing the law. The reference lists the following steps for the law to take effect:
Publish it in the Official Gazette.

Issuing implementation decrees for each law.

Appointing persons or committees to be entrusted with implementing the law.

The Constitutional Reference gives examples of this shortcoming, saying: There are several laws that has not been implemented, because it has  no implementing decrees, and no bodies or persons have been appointed to  it , and the most prominent of these laws are: the law establishing the communications regulatory body
the law appointing the regulating authority for electricity, the safety law Food, water bottling law, traffic law, consumer protection law, accounting office expansion law, republic intermediary law.

The Constitutional Reference reminds that some of these laws were approved  on years ago, and are still “ink on the Official Gazette papers, without being implementarted.”

Who bears responsibility for the negligence scandal?

The constitutional reference answers: the government and the parliament in solidarity , both of which are falling short: the government that does not carry out its work in issuing implementation decrees, and the House of Representatives that neglects convening  sessions to hold the government accountable for its shortcomings and raises confidence issue, if necessary, because not being held accountable makes it a “happy ruling.” Without scrupulous, deterrent, or accountant.

The constitutional reference points to a matter of great importance and says: “The Legislative Authority” does not fit its title , how many MPs in this parliament “understand legislation.” A look at the biographies of the deputies shows that most of them do not have licenses in law , and this license is a deputy should be holding.

The Constitutional Reference concludes: Faced with this shortage in legislators, would you be surprised that laws with such gaps are enacted, without knowing how to finalize it in order to be implemented.

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