A lack of verbal clashes at the cabinet session that tackled the 2012 draft state budget on Tuesday was described by parliamentary sources as “the calm before the political storm.”
The sources said that the calm during the session came amid expected “political storms” when cabinet ministers begin debating the issue of the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Tuesday’s session, headed by President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace, was the first in a series of meetings that the government will hold to discuss the budget drafted by Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi.
It has been criticized by major parties for including a Value Added Tax hike. It also includes allocations to pay around $32 million of Lebanon’s share to the STL that is set to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins.
Information Minister Walid al-Daouq told reporters after the session that the ministers will make their proposals to the draft budget within a week and then workshops will be held to study each suggestion.
Ministerial sources told As Safir daily that despite the calm that prevailed during Tuesday’s session, the debate would rage as discussions focus on the VAT hike.
The sources expected several ministers to suggest alternative taxes to steer the citizens clear from further burdens.
They said the ministers would likely tackle the STL funding after discussing all other articles in the draft budget, particularly that Premier Najib Miqati knows the issue won’t be approved either through consensus or through voting.
Some ministers might propose to withdraw the article from the draft budget, they added.
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