The Constitutional Court is set to convene Thursday to consider an appeal brought forth Tuesday by MP Sami Gemayel against a controversial article in the 2018 state budget, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The MP is fighting against Article 49 of the budget, which allows for temporary residency for foreigners who acquire ownership of a house or apartment in Lebanon. Critics say the article could allow for permanent settlement of Syrian and Palestinian refugees within the country.
The aim of Gemayel’s appeal against the article “is to stop a big mistake from being committed against the country,” the MP told reporters Tuesday outside the Constitutional Court, where he formally filed the appeal. “There are several violations in the budget law ... Article 49 legitimizes the foreigners’ residency, without any time limit,” Gemayel added.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri defended the controversial article in recent weeks, stressing that it is designed to attract investors to Lebanon.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
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