Law # 389 : Setting up of a Social And Economic Council
S.E.C. having been ratified by the House of Representatives, The President of the Republic do hereby publish the text of this Law as follows:
Chapter 1 : S.E.C Tasks and Specializations
Article 1
A Consultative Council called S.E.C. comprises major economics social, vocational and professional sectors within the context of this law, S.E.C. shall be henceforth to recognized as the "Council".
Article 2
The Council Operates to:
Secure partaking by economic, social and professional sectors in formulating opinions and consultation which assist state social and economic policies.
Developing inter-dialogue, cooperation and coordination between various social, economic and professional sectors.
Article 3
The Prime Minister acting at the behest of the Cabinet may refer to the Council requests to formulate opinions file reports or, make researches over matters of a professional, social and economic nature. The PM's instruction may also include a deadline for the S.E.C. to accomplish its task.
In cases deemed contingently urgent by the government, The Council must formulate an opinion within a month's time.
The Council has the right to, automatically voice its view with regards to tasks and matters defined under Article 2 of this Law. This is done by a two thirds majority vote with the exception of a draft fiscal and financial law including public budgets and annexes.
Chapter 2 : S.E.C Composition and Organization
Article 4:
The Council is composed of 65 members distributed as follows:
Firstly: Business Representatives
- Two representatives from the Industrial Sector
- Two representatives from the Trade Sector
- Two representatives from the Agricultural Sector
- Two representatives from the Banking Sector
- Two representatives from the Tourism Sector
- One representative from the Transportation Sector
- One representative from the Construction Sector
- One representative from the Insurance Sector
- One representative from the Private Hospitalization Sector
- One representative from the Private Educational Sector
Secondly : Representing Liberal Professions
- Two layers registered with the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations
- Two Engineers registered with Beirut and Tripoli Engineers' Syndicates
- Two Physicians registered for each of the Beirut/Tripoli Syndicates One shall represent Newspaper Owners and Editors registered with the Press and Editors' Syndicates in Beirut and in Tripoli.
- One Licensed Auditing expert
Thirdly : Representing the Workers' Unions
- Twelve Laborers including agricultural workers and employees registered with Workers' Unions and Syndicates.
- Two University Faculty Representatives
- Two Artisanal Representatives
- One Teacher to represent both private and public sectors
- One Publisher from the Publishers' Union
- One Landlord representative
- One Tenant representative
Fourthly : Representing Cooperative Associations
- Two representatives from the Cooperative Associations.
Fifthly : Representing Social Institutions
- Three representatives from Non-Governmental Social Institutions
- Two representatives from the Women's Unions.
Sixthly: Representing
- Two representatives from Intellectuals, highly capable specialists in social, economic, scientific, legal, cultural, ecological and technical fields.
Article 5:
The Cabinet and, upon the PM's suggestion defines by decree those bodies that are more representative of the various sectors that make up the Council as exclusively defined in Article (IV) of this law.
Article 6
An appointee or candidate for appointment must be a Lebanese National for at least 10 years. She/he must have had completed 25 years of age and enjoy all of her/his civic/political rights. She/ he must be educated and must never have been convicted of any minor shameful crime or otherwise...
Article 7
Council General Meeting Assembly is composed as follows:
Firstly:
Most representative Council bodies of its respective sectors as exclusively defined under article of this law shall submit a candidates' list with three folds the actual number of posts allotted so that the PM could at least choose the proper number befitting these bodies.
Article 8 :
تكون مدة ولاية العضو ثلاث السنوات تبدأ من تاريخ نشر مرسوم تعيين أعضاء الهيئة العامة.
Article 9 :
اذا فقد أحد أعضاء المجلس خلال هذه المدة الصفة التي عين على أساسها، يعتبر مستقيلاً حكماً. يجري تعيين بديل منه وفقاً للشروط المنصوص عليها في المادة السابعة. في حال وفاة او استقالة احد اعضاء المجلس او شغور مركزه لأي سبب كان قبل ثلاثة اشهر من انتهاء مدة الولاية، يجري تسمية او تعيين بديل منه بالشروط ذاتها التي تمت بموجبها تسمية او تعيين المتوفي او المستقيل.
في حال تغيب أحد الاعضاء عن حضور جلسات الهيئة العامة او اجتماعات لجانه اكثر من ثلاث مرات متتالية دون عذر شرعي، يعتبر مستقيلاً حكماً ويجري تسمية او تعيين بديل منه وفقاً للشروط المنصوص عليها في المادة السابعة.
Article 10 :
تنتخب الهيئة العامة مكتباً للمجلس يتألف من تسعة اعضاء.
يتم انتخاب أعضاء المكتب بالاقتراع السري وبالاكثرية المطلقة من مجموع الاعضاء الذين يتألف منهم المجلس قانوناً في الدورة الاولى، ويكتفي في الدورات اللاحقة بالاكثرية النسبية للأعضاء الحاضرين.
تحدد مدة ولاية اعضاء المكتب بثلاث سنوات.
خلال مهلة خمسة عشر يوماً من تاريخ صدور المرسوم او تعيين اعضاء المجلس، توجه الدعوة لانعقاد هيئته العامة من قبل اكبر اعضائها سناً وبرئاسته ويحدد فيها مكان الانتخاب وزمانه.
Article 11 :
فور انتخاب مكتب المجلس، يجتمع اعضاؤه لانتخاب رئيس ونائب للرئيس ويكون رئيس المكتب رئيساً للمجلس.
يتم الانتخاب باكثرية ثلثي مجموع اعضاء المكتب في الدورة الاولى وبالاكثرية المطلقة في الدورة الثانية وبأكثرية الحاضرين في الدورة الثالثة.
يعين مدير عام للمجلس بمرسوم يتخذ بمجلس الوزراء بناء على اقتراح رئيس مجلس الوزراء.
Article 12:
Specialized ad-hoc committees may necessarily emerge out of the Council, to look into various topics bearing on social, economic and professional activities.
Article 13:
Taking into consideration, provisions of article 3 of this law, General Assembly sessions are held upon summons by the Council Chairman in presence of an absolute majority of members and adopts views and recommendations by the same taken of absolute majority.
Chapter 3 : Internal Statutes
Article 14:
The General Assembly drafts Council Internal Statutes upon Board proposal and the Statutes are published by Decree adopted by the Cabinet following advice by the State Consultative Council.
Article 15:
General Assembly and Special ad-hoc meeting are held behind closed doors. Recommendations and proposals along with meetings' Minutes are submitted to the Cabinet within 5 days as of the date of their adoption.
Article 16:
Ministers or government representatives may attend Council General Assembly or ad-hoc Committee meetings. They may be heard if they choose to intercede.
Article 17:
The Right of vote at Council General Assembly is strictly personal. Voting by proxy is not permitted.
Article 18:
The Council Chairman submits views, reports and researches issued by the General Assembly to the P.M's Office within the deadline if deemed so, by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet must duly publish the Council's view in the Official Gazette.
Article 19
The Council Members are entitled to whatever compensations whatsoever. But, as for the Chairman of the Board, his remunerations shall be defined by special Cabinet decree upon the Prime Minister's Proposal.
Article 20
The Council expenditure shall be secured through special funds under a special chapter within the PM's Office Budget. Such funds are placed at the Council's disposal and shall be subject to belated Audit Department scrutiny.
Chapter 4 : Miscellanous provisions
Article 21:
Minutes for implementing provisions of this law, especially those pertaining to conditions for appointing a Director-General and his powers shall be defined within a period of six months as of the date of issuing this law. This is also relevant to conditions for appointing administrative organs and fixing of employee salaries and indemnities in line with Decrees adopted by the Cabinet with the PM's proposal and advice from the State Consultative Council.
Article 22:
The Council's initial General Assembly shall be formed within a five month's deadline as of the date of issuing this law.
Article 23:
This law takes immediate effect after its publication in the Official Gazette.
