Cabinet turns down Hariri development plan

A decisive majority of the ministers refused to pass the economic development plan proposed by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, during the cabinet's meeting that took place yesterday at 10:50 a.m. in the presidential residence in Baabda. The meeting started, according to an official source, with the prime minister's intervention which explained the proposed agenda. Copies of this agenda were handed to the ministers prior to the meeting.

President Elias Hrawi followed next. He went through each article of the plan and expressed his support for it. After that, the 26 ministers in attendance were asked to take a vote concerning the issue of raising petrol prices by 5,000 l.p. When the hike was opposed by the majority, the figures were lowered to a 3,000 l.p. increase. Thirteen ministers voted against, eleven voted for and two abstained.

Speaker Nabih Berri had expressed, the night before, his opposition to any increase in petrol prices. The General Labor Confederation warned, on the other hand, that it would stage a strike in the case that new taxes were imposed. It held an open meeting, yesterday, waiting for the result of the cabinet's vote and trying to find other solutions to the economic problem.