In an unexpected move, Prime Minister Najib Mikati asked Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to convert the last legislative session of Parliament into a general discussion session in order to boost confidence in his government. His government was able to achieve anything despite the continuation of internal political differences and the suspension of its sessions for several months, especially given its limited life and specific tasks.

President Mikati took this step despite knowing that the issue of raising confidence is not feasible at the moment, especially given that the parliamentary elections are scheduled for the middle of next May, which is less than a month and a half away.

According to parliamentary sources cited by Sawt Beirut International, President Mikati found himself stuck at a time when the government has not recorded any significant achievements to date, whether economic or social, other than transferring the draft budget to Parliament, which is still being studied by parliamentary committees. It was a fatal blow in the parliamentary committees last Monday, and he was hoping to get it approved in conjunction with the IMF delegation’s visit.

According to the sources, the “Capital Control” project will not be approved in the current parliament, despite the cabinet making some minor changes to it for electoral populist considerations in light of the deputies’ preparations for their electoral campaigns.

According to the sources, the issue of the government’s resignation is not on the table now or in the future because President Mikati, despite all the obstacles to his government’s work, will not dare to take this step, and he is eager to turn the corners in order to complete the government’s main task, which is to hold parliamentary elections.

Sawt Beirut International enquired about the mechanism for instilling trust in the government with constitutional expert and former head of the Constitutional Council, Dr. Issam Sleiman:

“When the Prime Minister sees parliamentary opposition to a specific project submitted by the government and believes it is necessary for the continuation of its tasks, he can ask for a vote of confidence to embarrass the deputies, because if he does not, the government will fall, which has serious consequences, especially in the current situation,” Sleiman explained.

“A vote of confidence in the government can also occur if a member of the Parliament requests that a specific question be directed to the government on a specific topic and within a specific period of time to answer it in accordance with the Parliament bylaws,” he added.

To summarize, President Mikati made a wise decision, and he is confident that everyone needs this government to continue operating, so what happened in Parliament was constitutional, but its content was political.