Berri Chairs Parliamentary Bureau Meeting to Finalize Agenda for General Assembly Session.

Beirut: House Speaker Nabih Berri presided over a meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau at the Second Presidency headquarters. This meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, Secretaries Hadi Abou Al-Hosn and Alain Aoun, parliamentary commissioners Michel Moussa, Karim Kabbara, and Hagop Pakradounian, and Secretary General of Parliament Adnan Daher. According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab briefed reporters on the session's deliberations and the finalized agenda for the general assembly meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 28. Bou Saab explained that the meeting prioritized urgent and critical draft laws, limiting the agenda to essential topics, and focusing on pressing legislation related to security, the military, and the judiciary. The five key items on the agenda include evaluating unresolved provisions from last year's budget, implementing emergency public procurement measures, addressing potential paralysis of the Higher Judicial Council, extending deadl ines for various administrative matters, and prolonging the terms of certain security apparatus heads to maintain institutional stability. Bou Saab underlined the urgency of these issues amid ongoing tensions. Bou Saab noted the importance of reaching consensus with parliamentary blocs on proposed extensions to avoid inequities, as seen last year when some eligible officers were bypassed. He also commented on the prospects of a ceasefire, highlighting recent Israeli escalations as negotiations approach serious stages. Bou Saab condemned Israel's actions, describing them as "indiscriminate violence targeting civilians and infrastructure." He mentioned the international cost of such aggression for Israel and expressed cautious optimism about a breakthrough in the coming days, suggesting clarity on a ceasefire could emerge within a week or ten days. Regarding lingering points of contention in the ceasefire agreement, Bou Saab confirmed France's essential role in the oversight committee. He emphasized that Spe aker Berri insisted on France's participation during discussions with the U.S. mediator and that this must be upheld. Bou Saab dismissed Israeli media reports as irrelevant, focusing on the facts on the ground, and noted a current tilt toward optimism.