January 25, 2026
The associations of secondary, vocational and basic formal education issued a statement following a meeting they held, stressing the continuation of the implementation of the schedule of movements that they had previously approved, while emphasizing the necessity of full commitment to strikes and sit-ins at this critical stage, given their direct impact on achieving rights in the morning and evening periods.
The associations called on all professors and teachers to adhere to the following: On Tuesday 1/27/2026: “A strike in the morning and evening shifts and a massive demonstration at 11:00 am, gathering in Bechara El Khoury Square and heading towards the House of Representatives.” Strike on Wednesday 1/28/2026 and Thursday 1/29/2026: “in the morning and evening shifts, and a sit-in whose location will be determined later.”
Indications were observed indicating a tense atmosphere that will dominate the budget discussion sessions next week, embodied in the ongoing controversy between the “Strong Republic Bloc” and the Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee: Ibrahim Kanaan.
Yesterday, the bloc responded to Kanaan’s “words that included free accusations and a clear attempt to distort the facts and cover up the violations that occurred during the discussion session of the draft budget law for the year 2026,” considering that “what happened within the Finance and Budget Committee after the completion of the discussion of the pending articles in the draft budget is neither a technical detail nor a normal procedure, but rather a dangerous transgression of constitutional and legislative principles and an attempt to transform the Finance and Budget Committee into a platform for passing additional materials that were not included in the draft budget.” The draft budget referred by the government.”
He described “the introduction of more than 20 additional articles sent by the Ministry of Finance on the same day, without distributing them to the representatives in advance and without them being approved by the Council of Ministers, as a clear violation of the applicable laws, especially Article 19 of the Public Accounting Law. Therefore, the attempt to force a discussion or vote “in principle” on a package of additional materials before taking this legal path, is legislation outside the principles and a blow to the foundations of parliamentary and oversight work.” The bloc announced, “The decision will be made in the General Assembly, where we will confront any attempt to perpetuate new violations or pass additional articles outside the constitutional and legislative frameworks.”
