BEIRUT: Beirut Governor Ziad Chebib said Friday that the decision to close the capital’s fish market would go into effect Monday, despite protests by vendors, the National News Agency reported.
The head of the Fish Market Vendors Syndicate, Hajj Abdullah Ghazal, said earlier Friday that the market would remain open to allow for negotiations between the vendors and the municipality.
Chebib ordered the facility closed Thursday for health reasons. The governor affirmed Friday that the decision remained in place, although its implementation had been delayed until Monday.The syndicate met with Chebib and other members of the municipality Friday to discuss the governor’s order.
“We told the governor to present us with an alternative to closing the fish market,” Ghazal said. “We’re not against fixing the place, we’re with fixing the place up but we can’t close this market. It’s a central market, everyone from fishermen to restaurants use it. [Closing it] will stop the country.”
Chebib said Thursday that the municipality’s health department had carried out an assessment of the facility and found the market to be “infested” with rats and insects.
Vendors at the market were outraged by the governor’s order and protested Friday, blocking the road leading to the market in Karantina.
The vendors say they rented the space from the state and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the facility meets the required health standards.
Ghazal said the market fell under the authority of the prime minister’s office, adding that the governor could not close the facility without the permission of the premier.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam is currently out of the country but will return tomorrow, Ghazal added.
The market remained open Friday and vendors gathered to await the outcome of the meeting between the syndicate and municipal officials. Internal Security Forces were also present.
Many workers told The Daily Star they were prepared to camp out in front of the market to prevent its closure as their livelihoods depended it.
Ghazal said the option of compensating the vendors while the market was closed for repair was discussed during the talks but said no final decision was made.
No comments:
Post a Comment