EDL Workers End Sit-in, Teachers Resume Correction
Happy endings continue to overwhelm the Lebanese arena as the crises train heads to the solution station.
Sidon is back to life after Ahmad al-Assir ended his failing sit-in.
The teachers ended their exam correction boycott and Electricite Du Liban [EDL] contract workers went to bed in the hope dreaming of the expected solution to be announced Friday.
Meanwhile, some insist on raising a storm within the Lebanese cup under the title of "deportation of 14 Syrians."
What's behind campaign on GS?
After the head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt led a verbal campaign against the General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, his minister followed his steps.
This came as the General Security deported 14 Syrians wanted for convicting crimes. The Lebanese General Security responded, clarifying that "the 14 Syrian nationals were deported based on judicial references and because they had committed crimes on Lebanese territory, rather than because of any political reasons."
During the governmental meeting Thursday, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel responded to all these allegations.
According to al-Akhbar Lebanese newspaper, "both men stressed that the deportation is legal following their completion of [prison] sentences."
"Gen. Ibrahim implemented the law," al-Akhbar quoted the premier as saying and adding that "the 14 Syrians were deported after having completed their sentences and not because they are political activists."
Similarly, minister Charbel highlighted to the same daily that "the accusations and campaign against General Ibrahim is unacceptable, who is one of the noblest officers in the military."
"The Lebanese state does not deal with the Syrians based on a political background, and the evidence is that one of the Syrians admitted to the Lebanese judiciary that he killed 6 Syrians in his country and he wasn't handed to Damascus."
"He is still suspended in the Lebanese judiciary," Charbel unveiled.
For his part, minister of Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish expressed his surprise regarding the campaign aginst the General Security.
In an interview with "al-Joumhoria" newspaper, Fneish emphasized that "the mentioned institution car carry out its duties and role in deporting the Syrians."
"It was revealed that the Syrian have been held and released in criminal cases, that's at least what we have heard from the Interior Minister," he added.
The minister further stated that "we all know that any foreigner who commits any breach of security, must be deported to his country."
"We didn't hear that they were handed because they belong to the opposition....If the Progressive Socialist Party, doubts that they belong to the opposition, we for our part we have big question marks," Fneish said.
He also wondered " what a crminial rebel is doing and freely wandeing in our country especially that he stated that he is reponsible criminal operations inside Syria?"
Commenting on he issue, a well-informed security source informed "as-Safir" that "any of those deported was an activist in the Syrian opposition."
EDL Crisis Ended
On another level,the sit-in of EDL contract workers is expected to come to an end Friday after 97 days of the crisis beginning.
In this context, "an-Nahar" daily revealed that "a political agreement was reached Thursday to end this issue."
It also noted that the agreement was concluded by signing a one-page written agreement.
"The agreement was signed by three officials - Secretary General of Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah's political aide Hussein Khalil, Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil on behalf of the Amal Movement, and Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil representing the Free Patriotic Movement," the daily uncovered.
Teachers to Resume Correction
In parallel, the government succeeded in passing the teacher's boycott of correction crisis as the Union Coordination Committee announced the resumption of official exams Friday.
Earlier, the government approved expenditure aimed at increasing the salaries of public school teachers.
"Among the most prominent decisions was the approval of a draft decree on allocating L.L. 200 billion for boosting the ranks of the teachers' salary scale by four ranks," Information Minister Walid al-Daouq told reporters after a ministerial session at the Grand Serail.
Source: Lebanese Newspaper, translated and edited by moqawama.org
