BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s draft law proposal for a wage increase was more convincing than Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ proposal, a ministerial source close to Hezbollah told The Daily Star Friday.

The source said that Hezbollah’s decision to endorse the draft law presented by Mikati in a Cabinet session Wednesday was a technical, not political, decision. “Hezbollah’s decision was made away from all political deliberations,” said the source.

Following the Cabinet’s vote against Nahhas’ proposal, several media reports said Hezbollah took a political stance against Nahhas’ proposal, which was supported by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

According to the economy minister, the new wage hike approved by the Cabinet will be implemented swiftly.

“The recent approval by the Cabinet of a new wage hike will move forward and there won’t be any obstacles facing it,” Economy Minister Nicholas Nahhas told The Daily Star Friday, before entering the week’s second Cabinet session.

Speaking after the meeting, Information Minister Walid Daouk described the session as “one of the calmest sessions of the government.”

In response to a reporter’s question, Daouk said the Cabinet would likely address the annual state budget next Wednesday at a Cabinet meeting headed by President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Palace.

Although the Cabinet addressed more than a dozen issues raised by different ministries, Daouk said no administrative appointments were discussed.

“Appointments were not listed on Cabinet’s agenda,” he said.

During Friday’s session, ministers agreed to provide the Tourism Ministry with more tourism police and approved a number of development initiatives including education projects in Akkar, Baalbek and Hermel and the opening of a new public school in the town of Kfar Zebian in Kesrouan. Funds from the European Union for the development of security projects were also approved.

In Wednesday’s Cabinet session, a majority of the ministers voted against Nahhas’ wage hike proposal, approving Mikati’s instead.

“What the Prime Minister Najib Mikati presented corrected many mistakes that were present in the previous draft law and included many solutions to the questions raised by the Shura Council,” said the source in reference the objections made by the Shura Council to the Cabinet’s October wage hike proposal.

Mikati’s government is expected to hold several Cabinet sessions next week