Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Sunday that parliament would take into consideration the people's rights as it studies the new wage scale during a session on Tuesday.

He said: “We hope parliament will take into consideration the people's rights and the state's capabilities when studying the scale.” He made his remarks during a sermon on the occasion of Palm Sunday. In addition, the patriarch said that needed reforms at state institutions linked to the wage scale should be tackled by parliament during its session next week. The Joint Parliamentary Committees referred on Friday the new wage scale to parliament after arduous discussions that were accompanied by demonstrations by the Syndicate Coordination Committee that was pressuring lawmakers to refer the scale to parliament. Parliament is scheduled to meet on Tuesday in order address the scale. [Link]