News from Beirut November 20  1996 .......Search Lebanon.com


The Governmental statement

During a parliamentary session, yesterday, attended by all Ministers except the Minister of dislodged people, Mr. Walid Jounblat, the Prime Minister, Mr. Rafiq Al-Hariri read the governmental statement, to be discussed next monday.

In this statement, Al-Hariri noted that the reconstruction process would continue with rebuilding the state authority and listed points to be taken as the government priorities:

A-On the social and economic level:

1-To launch a strategy of economic productivity, including sectors of industry, agriculture and tourism. Thus the government was going to set a bill in order to establish a Ministry of Industry.

2-To encourage the individual initiative to help create new labour opportunities.

3-To keep on supporting the State housing policy, besides implementing the law concerning the Public Institution for Housing.

4-To organize and enforce the role of public hospitalization .

5-To expand the services of public transport, in order to include all regions in the country.

6-To enforce the role of both the national fund for social security, and the national institution for Employment.

7-To encourage and develop Public Education .

8-To make further steps concerning the Technical Education.

9-To grant the Lebanese University the importance it deserve.

10-To take care of the martyrs' families, as well as of the wounded people.

B-On the administration reform level:

1-To emphasize on the administration reform, for it is a vital point to have modern State.

2-To enforce the role of municipalities.

C-On the return of dislodged people :

1-To engage in prompting this process till the return of all dislodged.

D-On the environment level:

1-In order to safeguard and protect the environment, the government will implement laws concerning the organization and protection of agricultural territories, natural parks and forests.

2-To settle radically the waste issue, and the quarries sites.

3-To set a new structure for the Ministry of Environment, in order to provide it with the scientific competent bodies.

Al-Hariri also pointed that the government would enforce the justice role and authority, to guarantee public freedoms, and would proceed in the development process, which would increase the state income. Then, it would attract the Lebanese capitals, within the country and abroad namely through the Ministry of Emigrants. Furthermore, Al-Hariri declared the government was going to face the Israeli occupation in the South, and call for the implementation of Resolution 425.

Karameh and El-Khatib visited Berreh

Deputy Marwan Fares called yesterday redeeming his signature from the motion aiming at extending the period for the non-authorized media. He said the reason for that was a decision taken by the National and Socialist Syrian Party.

On the other hand, president Omar Karameh and deputy Zaher El-Khatib visited yesterday the president of the parliament, Mr. Nabih Berreh, and discussed with him the media issue. Karameh declared having asked president Berreh to raise the motion immediately after the confidence vote, and president Berreh accepted.

Furthermore, the Follow-up committee presented a note to president Berreh, asking him the authorization of a sit-in in front of the parliament, during the days of discussing the governmental statement, and he agreed.

The committee stemming from the Coral Beach National Symposium, also called all Lebanese people, in the various regions of the country to have a national strike on Thursday November 28th 1996, and to take part in a peaceful demonstration, from the UNESCO square, to the governmental palace. The committee declared its support to the would-be sit-in by the employees of the non-authorized audio-visual media, and saluted deputies who presented the motion on extending the audio-visual delay.

El-Murr in Baabda

The President of the Republic, Mr Elias Al-Hrawi, met yesterday with the vice-prime Minister, Minister of Interior Affairs, Mr. Michel El-Murr, who declared security matters were discussed in the meeting.

About the murder of Farid Mousally, El-Murr said he couldn't comment, for Justice was investigating in this case, and the Ministry of Interior was not directly related to that matter. He then added that everybody was doing his job, and thought that within 48 hours, things would be clearer.

Furthermore, in order to put an end to events disturbing the security, El-Murr said he was going to convey police bodies to a meeting and the first measure would be to intensify, in cooperation with the Lebanese Army, nights patrols.

El-Murr also received the Senegalese consul in Lebanon, Antoine Aqiqi, who was carrying a message from Senegal president, Abdo Dyouf.

Hobeich received the board of the Lebanese University.

The Minister of Culture and High Education, Mr. Fawzi Hobeich, met yesterday in his office with the board of the Lebanese University, headed by Dr. Asaad Dyab . At the end of the meeting, Hobeich announced different problems of the Lebanese University were handled, and agreement was reached upon most of the issues, namely the fusion of the pharmacy faculty, which was settled down, and would occur within two weeks. Hobeich said he was going to review the file of the  University professors, before taking any decision. Dr. Dyab, on the other hand, stated that various matters concerning the Lebanese University were raised during the meeting, in order to find the right solutions.

Miscellaneous...

* The Minister of Public Health Mr. Soleiman Franjieh, handled yesterday health matters with deputies Ibrahim Bayan, Saleh El-Khayr, Fayez Ghosn, Faysal Eddaoud and Mohammed Ali-El-Mays, along with the former deputy Samir Aoun.

* The Prime Minister, Mr. Rafiq Al-Hariri, met yesterday with the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Ali Hrajli. He also received congratulation telegrams from several Prime Minister and Presidents.

* The secretary of State, Mr. Fares Bweiz met yesterday with the ambassador of  Kuwait in Beirut, Abd Errazaq El-Kandari, and discussed the on-going preparations for the conference of Lebanon Friends.

* Upon invitation by the Lebanese Gathering to protect Environment and the Arab Environment and the Arab Environment and Development Network, in coordination with the Friedrich Eipert Institution and the Earth Council, the Lebanese Minister of Environment, Mr. Akram Choheib inaugurated yesterday the conference of Arab consulting on Environment.

* During a press conference held yesterday at the Catholic Information Center, the head of the council for the Maronite Social Fund, bishop Roland Abou Jaoudeh, announced the construction of another 900 houses for 900 families, especially in El-Matn and Kesrouan regions.

* The US dollar decreased yesterday in the exchange market 25 piasters, and was equal, according to the Bank of  Lebanon bulletin, to 1551 L.P. when buying and 1558, L.P. when selling.

Lebanon Football Series

Yesterday started the 10th period of the Lebanese football championship; thus 4 games were held as the following:

1-Arryada Waladab v/s Annejmeh (1-1) (at Saida local stadium)

2-Al-Homenmen v/s Assalam-Zgharta (2-2) (at Tripoli local stadium)

3-Racing v/s Chabab Assahel (2-1) (at Bourj Hammoud local stadium)

4-Achabiba v/s Al-Akha (0-0) (at Assafa stadium, Wata Mosaitbeh)

As for today, this 10th period of the Lebanese football cup will end up by three matches to be held at 14:15.

1 - Al-Homentmen v/s Al-Ansar (at Tripoli local stadium)

2 - Assafa v/s El-Hekmeh (at Assafa stadium)

3 - El-Bourj v/s Attadamoun-Tyre (at Bourj Hammoud local stadium)


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