Our Esteemed Members of Parliament and the Public Debt

Here is a thought for you,

The parliamentarians keep complaining that we need money to cover the national debt or to cut down on governmental extravagant expenditures, but how about we look at them now or overall?

For starters, a member of parliament (MP) makes 5,000,000 LL per month. Roughly, that number means 3333.33 US dollars per month. For starters, the parliament has not been functional since the end of 2006. I suggest that this money should be directed to pay for the national debt. In theory we have 126 (and depends on the political assassinations) and parliamentarian quotas for seats. Now 126 x 3333.33 $ equates to 420,000 $. Henceforth, 420,000$ per month are excellent to go to the national debt. Now transform that sum on an annual basis (12 x 420,000 $), that would equate to 5, 040,000 $. That is the sum of money paid on our parliamentarians to sit and do nothing in relations to legislative work. Now if we add the months of the wasted months as a whole (17 x 420,000$) = 7,140,000 $ of money that could have gone to be paid to the Public Debt. They haven’t legislated anything. Rather Opposition MPs have spent their time preaching against the Government and visiting funerals/weddings at their elected districts. The Pro Government MPs have been also wasting the tax-payers' money in attacking the Opposition and hiding due to the death-threats. Henceforth, that sum of money is better than none to be pitched into the National Debt. This of course (excuse my ignorance but I don’t know a minister's salary) but I know for sure that five ministers shouldn’t be receiving their salaries since they are "resigned" till they suddenly decide to visit the government and sign proper papers for their wastas (special connections). Of course, this is not to exclude the fact that the Speaker of the Parliament also receives higher pay than the other.

Now is this is the end of my argument? Of course not !

Each MP also has a different retirement salary. That means once they are no longer MPs, they receive also money from the Tax – Payers which in my opinion shouldn’t do that at all. After all, most of the MPs who run are usually better-off financially, or became during their term. This is not to forget the gigantic sum of money their rich coalitions are part off.

The rates of a retired MP or an MP that fails to make it as follows:

(One Elected Term = 0 sum of money)
(Two Elected Terms = 50% of their salary per month is paid)
(Three Elected Terms = 75% of their salary paid)
(Four Elected Terms = 100% of their salary paid per month).
Now, I am not sure if the formula goes as this:
Five Terms = 125% of their salary paid per month
Six Terms = 150% of their salary paid per month
If this is the case, then we have serious issues, such as MP Abdel Latif Zain or Michel el Murr, or others. Other than Adel Osseiran's reputation for entering the Parliament, being the Speaker of the Parliament, and leaving for over 40 years, and leaving the parliament penniless, I think this is a serious glitch that has to be severely resolved (btw Adel Osseiran's son now is member of Parliament with Berri's Liberation and Development Coalition).

So let me attempt to name the current MPs who have been more than three times elected, and not to forget those who were appointed for one year in 1991.
Yeghia Jerjian (1992 – 1996 – 2000 – 2005; Future Bloc/Government) ; Michel el Murr (1968 - 1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005; Reform and Change Coalition/Opposition); Ayman Chouchair (1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005; Democratic Gathering/Government), Bassem Sabai' (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Future Bloc/Government); Akram Chehayeb (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Democratic Gathering/Government), Ala'a el Dean Tirro (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Democratic Gathering/Government), Walid Junblatt (1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005 Democratic Gathering/Government), Marwan Hmaidi (1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Democratic Gathering/ Government), Mohammad Kabbara (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Tripoli Bloc/Government), Maurice Fadel (1972 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005), Neyla Mou'awad (1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Qornet Shahwan/Government), Farid Makarri (Future Bloc/Government), Boutros Harb (1972 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Qornet Shahwan/Government), Nabih Berri (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Development and Development Coalition/Opposition), Ali Osseiran (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Development and Development Coalition/Opposition), Michel Moussa (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Development and Development/Opposition), Mohammad Fneish (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Loyalty for the Resistance/Opposition), Samir Azar (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Liberation and Development/Opposition), Ayoub Hmayed (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Liberation and Development/Opposition), Anwar Khalil (1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Liberation and Development), Assad Hairdain (1991 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005 , Syrian Social nationalist Party/Opposition), Mohammad Raad (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Loyalty For the Resistance/ Opposition), Abdelatif Zain (1962 - 1964 - 1968 - 1972 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Liberation and Development Coalition/Opposition), Hussein el Husseini (1972 - 1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Independent/Opposition), Elias Skaff (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Reform and Change Coalition/Opposition), Nicolas Fattoushe (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Future Bloc/Government), George Kassarji (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005, Reform and Change Coalition/Opposition), and Robert Ghanem (1992 - 1996 - 2000 – 2005).

There are 29 MPs who will be forever earn a 100% (and a 100% plus) as long as they are living. I am sure Michel el Murr (who has his son as a Defense Minister and Ex- Minister of Interior, and his daughter as head of the Municipalities of Upper Matn) or Harriri Jr. would need that sum of money. There are also 11 MPs who have been elected three times (so far) but wont bore you with the details, and there are 22 MPs who were elected twice. Think of the opportunity cost that could have gone to the National Debt. This doesn’t exclude the ex-Members of Parliament who are already benefiting from the system in the past/present. This makes the amount per month a gigantic amount of money going out from our tax-paying to these people instead of easing off our lives by gradually paying off the Public Debt. Cut the funds on the MPs, and let the Proletariat have a better life over here!

MFL

PS: All Information of the MPs' elections are taken from the Lebanese Parliamentary Monitor.