BEIRUT: Parliament Thursday passed the 2018 budget during a non-televised general session, concluding two days of debate on the second national spending bill in 12 years.
Some 50 MPs voted in favor of the bill, 11 abstained and two voted against the budget Thursday evening, local media reported.
Among the articles added to the bill was a pay raise for judges, local media reported, answering months of demands by Lebanon’s judiciary to fix changes to their remuneration package altered in last year’s salary scale bill.
Higher Judicial Council head Judge Jean Fahed and State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud attended a regrouped Parliament session Thursday evening to address judges’ demands, as the body was poised to pass the 2018 draft budget bill, state-run National News Agency reported. The judges demanded an increase in wages in line with the public sector salary scale as well as independence within the judiciary.
Despite opposition from Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Future MP Fouad Siniora, Speaker Nabih Berri expressed his own support for the pay raise, saying it would end a monthslong complained by judges. “It’s not good to [have] judges on strike – that means that justice is on strike. The issue is not about [pay] grades but equality and the judiciary’s independence,” Berri was quoted saying by local radio station VDL (93.3). The judges’ one and a half month judicial recess was also restored.
The decision to grant judges’ pay came as Parliament convened Thursday evening for its second session of the day. The evening discussions went untelevised and took place behind closed doors. MPs were expected to pass the final 2018 budget by the end of the day as the long Easter weekend was looming.
MPs also approved of a 34-hour work week for the public sector.
Parliament approved an article issuing expedited passports for Lebanese expatriates ahead of the upcoming election in May, valid for two months only, NNA reported. The temporary documents will allow Lebanese citizens living abroad cast their votes in the elections slated for May 6.