Stalled progress

ENAR

Public workers were protesting at the end of September out of fear the government might not honor legislation ordering an increase to their salaries and benefits. The protesters feared that the government might suspend the salary increase because the revenue it expected to cover the new spending was struck down by a court ruling. The Constitutional Council, Lebanon’s highest constitutional authority, annulled a tax law passed in August by Parliament that would have brought in revenue to cover the deficit expected from the salary increase. If the Lebanese government and Parliament had just passed a budget, which it has unconstitutionally failed to do since 2005, then we would not be in this mess. The Constitutional Council ruled in favor of an appeal, brought forward by 10 MPs that argued the tax law violated Lebanon’s constitution. In its ruling decision—that cannot be challenged—the court said it annulled the tax law for