BEIRUT: The Cabinet convened Thursday in the absence of four key ministers, in a session which is not expected to produce any decision on controversial files, including the licensing of new faculties, telecom and waste, ministerial sources told The Daily Star.
Absentees included Future Movement ministers, Nouhad Machnouk and Ashraf Rifi, who were in Saudi Arabia for meetings with Future leader, Saad Hariri. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and Telecommunication Minister Boutros Harb were also out of the country on official visits.
Minister of Education Elias Bou Saab, ruled out any chance of progress towards an agreement on approving requests by certain universities to establish new faculties.
“We know that the clause on creating new faculties will not pass,” Bou Saab said before walking into the meeting, hinting that the issue has become a political one, rather than related to educational concerns.
Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb was as pessimistic with regard to settling the issue of waste management anytime soon, warning that “garbage will be piling up across Lebanon after January 15,” the date he had set to close down the Naameh landfill which he stressed would be saturated.
The 72-item agenda did not include the divisive telecom file, still awaiting agreement on the bid document listing the criteria for the next call for tenders that will attract new companies to manage the sector.
The sources said the issue of the captive servicemen in the hands of ISIS and Nusra Front would be present, as usual, though from outside the agenda.
The next Cabinet meeting is expected to be held on Monday or Tuesday, the sources added.
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